US Forms Multinational Naval Force to Confront Houthi Attacks, Smuggling

The new naval task force of up to eight vessels is the latest US military response to the Houthi attacks (AP)
The new naval task force of up to eight vessels is the latest US military response to the Houthi attacks (AP)
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US Forms Multinational Naval Force to Confront Houthi Attacks, Smuggling

The new naval task force of up to eight vessels is the latest US military response to the Houthi attacks (AP)
The new naval task force of up to eight vessels is the latest US military response to the Houthi attacks (AP)

A US Navy official announced the formation of a new multinational naval task force to respond to Houthi attacks on regional countries, target arms smuggling, and people and drugs trafficking.

The initiative comes amid strained relations between some Gulf countries and the United States against Iran, which Washington and the UN accuse of inflaming the crisis in Yemen and supplying the Houthis with weapons to attack Yemenis and target infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The US Navy said Wednesday that it is establishing a new multinational task force that would target arms smuggling in the waters around Yemen, the latest American military response to Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE, following the missile and drone attacks on the Gulf nations.

Fifth Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Brad Cooper said that the task force would ensure a force presence and deterrent posture in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden and target human trafficking, drug, and other illicit goods smuggling.

Cooper explained on a call with reporters and quoted by Reuters that "these are strategically important waters that warrant our attention," adding that the new naval task force would consist of between two and eight vessels and is part of the 34-nation Combined Maritime Forces, which he also commands, that has three other task forces in nearby waters targeting smuggling and piracy.

Asked about the air raids from Yemen on US partners Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Cooper said the task force would impact the Houthi's ability to obtain the weaponry needed for such attacks, saying “we'll be able to do it more vibrantly and more directly than we do today."

A US official told Reuters, on condition of anonymity, that the waters between Somalia, Djibouti, and Yemen were well-known "smuggling paths" for weapons destined for the Houthis.

Iran has long been accused of smuggling weapons to the Houthis, a charge it denies, but the US provided evidence of Iran's involvement in arms supplies to the Houthis, providing logistical support and military training to them is sufficient.

Last month, the Fifth Fleet announced the outcomes of the defense dialogue and meetings between the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council, as the participants agreed to develop a "common defense vision" in the region to "deter air and maritime threats" done by Iran and its militias.

A statement by the US Ministry of Defense (Pentagon), by spokeswoman Cindi King, stated that the meeting that Washington held with Gulf counterparts in Riyadh stressed the importance of strengthening the ability of the GCC countries to collectively address these threats affirming the longstanding defense partnership.

The countries reaffirmed a shared commitment to regional security under the framework of the GCC-US Strategic Partnership.

An official at the US Defense Department told Asharq Al-Awsat earlier that the US was committed to bolstering Saudi Arabia's security against "dangerous external threats." He explained that defense cooperation was ongoing with Riyadh, as was the transfer of weapons, defense trade, training, and other exchanges.

The United States pledged on various occasions to continue providing Saudi Arabia with the necessary means to defend its territories and repel attacks carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi militias in Yemen.

At the same time, it has demanded an immediate end to the war in Yemen and urged against targeting civilians and infrastructure in neighboring countries.



Israel Says It Is Considering Alternatives to Ceasefire Talks with Hamas, Deepening Uncertainty

Palestinians wait for food aid trucks to enter from northern Gaza, in Gaza City, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians wait for food aid trucks to enter from northern Gaza, in Gaza City, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP)
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Israel Says It Is Considering Alternatives to Ceasefire Talks with Hamas, Deepening Uncertainty

Palestinians wait for food aid trucks to enter from northern Gaza, in Gaza City, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP)
Palestinians wait for food aid trucks to enter from northern Gaza, in Gaza City, Friday, July 25, 2025. (AP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday his government was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks with Hamas after Israel and the US recalled their negotiating teams, throwing the future of the negotiations into further uncertainty.

Netanyahu's statement came as a Hamas official said negotiations were expected to resume next week and portrayed the recall of the Israeli and American delegations as a pressure tactic. Egypt and Qatar, which are mediating the talks alongside the United States, said the pause was only temporary and that talks would resume, though they did not say when.

The teams left Qatar on Thursday as President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said Hamas’ latest response to proposals for a deal showed a "lack of desire" to reach a truce. Witkoff said the US will look at "alternative options," without elaborating.

In a statement released by his office, Netanyahu echoed Witkoff, saying, "Hamas is the obstacle to a hostage release deal."

"Together with our US allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas’s terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region," he said. He did not elaborate. Israel’s government didn’t immediately respond to whether negotiations would resume next week.

Stall in talks comes as hunger worsens

A breakthrough on a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has eluded the Trump administration as experts warn Gaza is being pushed closer to famine, after months of Israel entirely blocking food or letting in only limited amounts. This month, deaths related to malnutrition have accelerated.

More than two dozen Western-aligned countries and more than 100 charity and human rights groups have called for an end to the war, harshly criticizing Israel’s blockade and a new aid delivery model it has rolled out. The charities and rights groups said even their own staff were struggling to get enough food.

On Thursday, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize Palestine as a state. "The urgent thing today is that the war in Gaza stops and the civilian population is saved," he said.

Jordan has requested to carry out airdrops of aid into Gaza "due to the dire situation," a Jordanian official said. The official said the airdrops will mainly be food and milk formula.

An Israeli security official said the military was coordinating the drops, which were expected in the coming days. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the yet-to-be-finalized plans.

Desperate Palestinians gathered at a charity kitchen in Gaza City on Friday, clutching empty pots waiting for a share of watery lentil soup. Such kitchens distributing cooked meals have been a main source of food for many Palestinians, but the number of meals they produce every day has plummeted to 160,000 from more than a million in April, according to the UN.

"We’ve been living three months without bread," said one woman in line, Riham Dwas. "We’re relying on charity kitchens, surviving on a pot of lentils and there are many times when we don’t even have that."

When she can't find food, she takes her children to a hospital to be put on saline IV drips for sustenance.

Mourners carry the bodies of strike victims

An Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter for displaced people in Gaza City, killing at least five people, including an 11-year-old boy, according to hospital officials. Afterwards, dozens of mourners marched carrying the bodies from Shifa Hospital as women nearby screamed and wept.

"Enough!" screamed Taraji Adwan, whose son and grandson were among the dead. She said the strike hit as she was filling up water jugs.

"Stop the war! Our children are dying from starvation, malnutrition, dehydration, lack of food, strikes, and dying from fear and destruction. Enough, Hamas! Enough, Israel! Enough, world!" she said.

The Gaza Health Ministry said around 80 people were killed since Thursday night, mostly in strikes but including nine killed while seeking aid.

Talks have struggled over issue of ending the war

Hamas official Bassem Naim said Friday that the group was told that the Israeli delegation returned home for consultations and would return early next week to resume ceasefire negotiations.

Hamas said that Witkoff's remarks were meant to pressure the group for Netanyahu's benefit during the next round of talks and that in recent days negotiations had made progress. Naim said several gaps had been nearly solved, such as the agenda of the ceasefire, guarantees to continue negotiating to reach a permanent agreement and how humanitarian aid would be delivered.

In a joint statement, Egypt and Qatar also said progress had been made. "It is a natural to pause talks to hold consultations before the resumption of the dialogue once more," they said.

The sides have held weeks of talks in Qatar, reporting small signs of progress but no major breakthroughs. Officials have said a main sticking point is the redeployment of Israeli troops from positions in Gaza after any ceasefire takes place.

The deal under discussion is expected to include an initial 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting ceasefire.

The talks have been bogged down over competing demands for ending the war. Hamas says it will only release all hostages in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal and end to the war. Israel says it will not agree to end the conflict until Hamas gives up power and disarms. The group says it is prepared to leave power but not surrender its weapons.

Hamas is believed to be holding the hostages in different locations, including tunnels, and says it has ordered its guards to kill them if Israeli forces approach.

Some 50 hostages remain in Gaza, but fewer than half are believed to be alive. Their families say the start-stop talks are excruciating.