Yemeni Army Accuses Militias of Testing Anti-Ship Missile

All evidence showed the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the launching process. Photo: Houthi media
All evidence showed the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the launching process. Photo: Houthi media
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Yemeni Army Accuses Militias of Testing Anti-Ship Missile

All evidence showed the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the launching process. Photo: Houthi media
All evidence showed the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the launching process. Photo: Houthi media

The Yemeni army accused the Houthi militia of testing an anti-ship missile launched from Sanaa, which landed in the Red Sea waters off Hodeidah.

The army spokesman, Brigadier General Abdo Majali, announced that the Houthis conducted an anti-ship missile test from the Nehm district, which landed west of Hodeidah in international waters.

Majali warned the militias of the consequences, considering it another hostile operation.

He stressed that all evidence showed the involvement of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the launching process and its continuous support for the militia.

Houthi threats and targeting of Shabwa and Hadramout ports undermine regional and international security, said Majali, calling on the international community to shoulder its responsibility in protecting international waterways and ensuring freedom of maritime navigation.

Meanwhile, the head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, asserted that the decision to classify the Houthis as a terrorist group takes into consideration concerns about the flow of aid.

Alimi received in Riyadh the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy, Inger Tangborn, and they discussed the latest developments in Yemen and the joint efforts to alleviate peoples' suffering.

Official sources said that the meeting touched on the repercussions of Houthi terrorist threats and attacks on the economic and commercial facilities upon the livelihoods of the Yemeni people, the international security and peace, and the required measures to contain those implications.

Alimi cited the government measures to deter the Houthi terrorist threat, including the National Defense Council's resolution to designate the militia as a terrorist organization.

According to official sources, the President reassured humanitarian organizations, relief agencies, and the private sector, stressing that designating Houthis as a terrorist organization will take into account all concerns related to the flow of aid to the Yemeni people, warning against dealing with militias outside the framework of approved agreements.

The President highly praised the role of the UK and US in supporting the Central Bank of Yemen with $300 million from Yemen's Special Drawing Right of the International Monetary Fund, reported Saba News Agency.

He asserted the importance of this step to bolster trust in the national currency, help ongoing imports of essential commodities, and improve the livelihood of the Yemeni people across the country.

The President praised the US efforts to implement the resolution to ban weapons sent to the Houthi terrorist militias, which led to the interception of many Iranian smuggling ships, most recently when the US Fifth Fleet intercepted an Iranian ship laden with explosives in the Gulf of Oman.

Yemenis and the international community fear that the Houthi escalation would torpedo all peace efforts, especially since the group insisted on rejecting to renew the UN-sponsored ceasefire and deliberately aggravated the situation by bombing oil export ports.

Next week, the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, will brief the UN Security Council on his latest efforts to persuade the Houthis to renew the armistice.



US Slaps Sanctions on Sudan’s RSF Commanders over El-Fasher Killings

FILE - A Sudanese child, who fled el-Fasher city with family after Sudan's RSF attacked the western Darfur region, receives treatment at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)
FILE - A Sudanese child, who fled el-Fasher city with family after Sudan's RSF attacked the western Darfur region, receives treatment at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)
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US Slaps Sanctions on Sudan’s RSF Commanders over El-Fasher Killings

FILE - A Sudanese child, who fled el-Fasher city with family after Sudan's RSF attacked the western Darfur region, receives treatment at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)
FILE - A Sudanese child, who fled el-Fasher city with family after Sudan's RSF attacked the western Darfur region, receives treatment at a camp in Tawila, Sudan, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Mohammed Abaker, File)

The United States announced sanctions on Thursday on three Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanders over their roles in the "horrific campaign" of the siege and capture of El-Fasher.

The US Treasury said the RSF carried out "ethnic killings, torture, starvation, and sexual violence" in the operation.

Earlier Thursday, the UN's independent fact-finding mission on Sudan said the siege and seizure of the city in Darfur bore "the hallmarks of genocide."

Its investigation concluded that the seizure last October had inflicted "three days of absolute horror," and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.

"The United States calls on the Rapid Support Forces to commit to a humanitarian ceasefire immediately," US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement.

"We will not tolerate this ongoing campaign of terror and senseless killing in Sudan."

The Treasury noted that the three sanctioned individuals were part of the RSF's 18-month siege of and eventual capture of El-Fasher.

They are RSF Brigadier General Elfateh Abdullah Idris Adam, Major General Gedo Hamdan Ahmed Mohamed and field commander Tijani Ibrahim Moussa Mohamed.

Bessent warned that Sudan's civil war risks further destabilizing the region, "creating conditions for terrorist groups to grow and threaten the safety and interests of the United States."

The UN probe into the takeover of El-Fasher -- after the 18-month siege -- concluded that thousands of people, particularly from the Zaghawa ethnic group, "were killed, raped or disappeared."


Israel's Netanyahu Says No Reconstruction of Gaza before Demilitarization

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - File Photo/AFP
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - File Photo/AFP
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Israel's Netanyahu Says No Reconstruction of Gaza before Demilitarization

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - File Photo/AFP
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - File Photo/AFP

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday there would be no reconstruction of war-shattered Gaza before the disarmament of Hamas, as the "Board of Peace" convened for its inaugural meeting in Washington.

Around two dozen world leaders and senior officials met for the first meeting of the board, which was set up after the United States, Qatar and Egypt negotiated a ceasefire in October to halt two years of war in the Gaza Strip.

"We agreed with our ally the US there will be no reconstruction of Gaza before the demilitarization of Gaza," Netanyahu said during a televised speech at a military ceremony on Thursday, AFP reported.

The meeting in Washington will also look at how to launch the International Stabilization Force (ISF) that will ensure security in Gaza.

One of the most sensitive issues before the board is the future of the Islamist movement Hamas, which fought the war with Israel and still exerts influence in the territory.

Disarmament of the group is a central Israeli demand and a key point in negotiations over the ceasefire's next stage.

US officials including Steve Witkoff, Trump's friend and roving negotiator, have insisted that solid progress is being made and that Hamas is feeling pressure to give up weapons.

Israel has suggested sweeping restrictions including seizing small personal rifles from Hamas.

It remains unclear whether, or how, the Palestinian technocratic committee formed to handle day-to-day governance of Gaza will address the issue of demilitarization.

The 15-member National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) will operate under the supervision of the "Board of Peace", and its head, Ali Shaath, is attending the meeting in Washington on Thursday.


Trump Tells First Meeting of Board of Peace that $7 billion Raised for Gaza

US President Donald Trump speaking in Washington - AFP
US President Donald Trump speaking in Washington - AFP
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Trump Tells First Meeting of Board of Peace that $7 billion Raised for Gaza

US President Donald Trump speaking in Washington - AFP
US President Donald Trump speaking in Washington - AFP

US President Donald Trump told the first meeting of his Board of Peace on Thursday that $7 billion has been contributed to a Gaza reconstruction fund that aims to rebuild the enclave once Hamas disarms, an objective that is far from becoming a reality.

The disarmament of Hamas militants and accompanying withdrawal of Israeli troops, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-battered populace of Gaza are among the major questions likely to test the effectiveness of the board in the weeks and months ahead.

In a flurry of announcements at the end of a long, winding speech, Trump said the United States will make a contribution of $10 billion to the Board of Peace. He said contributing nations had raised $7 billion as an initial down payment for Gaza reconstruction.

Trump first proposed the board last September when he announced his plan to end Israel's war in Gaza. He later made clear the board's remit would be expanded beyond Gaza to tackle other conflicts worldwide.

Trump also said FIFA will raise $75 million for soccer-related projects in Gaza and that the United Nations will chip in $2 billion for humanitarian assistance.

TRUMP SAYS ANY IRAN DEAL MUST BE MEANINGFUL, PROSPECTS SHOULD BE CLEAR IN 10 DAYS

The Board of Peace includes Israel but not Palestinian representatives and Trump's suggestion that the Board could eventually address challenges beyond Gaza has stirred anxiety that it could undermine the UN's role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.

"We're going to strengthen the United Nations," Trump said, trying to assuage his critics. "It's really very important."

The meeting came as Trump threatens war against Iran and has embarked on a massive military buildup in the region in case Tehran refuses to give up its nuclear program.

Trump said he should know in 10 days whether a deal is possible. "We have to have a meaningful deal," he said.

The event had the feel of a Trump campaign rally, with music blaring from his eclectic playlist from Elvis Presley to the Beach Boys. Red Trump hats were given to participants.

Senior US officials said Trump will also announce that several nations are planning to send thousands of troops to participate in an International Stabilization Force that will help keep the peace in Gaza when it eventually deploys.

Hamas, fearful of Israeli reprisals, has been reluctant to hand over weaponry as part of Trump's 20-point Gaza plan that brought about a fragile ceasefire last October in the two-year Gaza war.

Trump said he hoped use of force to disarm Hamas would not be necessary. He said Hamas had promised to disarm and it "looks like they're going to be doing that, but we'll have to find out."