Fingers Point at Iran Following Attack on Israeli Vessel in Arabian Sea

Vessels crossing Arabian Sea - File Photo
Vessels crossing Arabian Sea - File Photo
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Fingers Point at Iran Following Attack on Israeli Vessel in Arabian Sea

Vessels crossing Arabian Sea - File Photo
Vessels crossing Arabian Sea - File Photo

At least one Israeli-owned vessel was attacked in the Arabian sea on Feb. 10, a regional defense source said on Friday, in an assault that Iran is assumed to have carried out.

The source said drones were likely used and that there were no reports of casualties, Reuters reported.

British maritime security company Ambrey Intelligence said unmanned aerial systems had attacked two tankers and one bulk carrier in the Arabian sea and assessed that Tehran had mounted the attack.

This came as Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Friday that "all possible means" were on the table to prevent Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon and said the international community had to take action to stop Tehran's proliferation of advanced weapons.

Gallant said Iran was expanding its advanced weapons proliferation beyond the region despite an embargo, including talks to sell drones and precision-guided munitions to 50 countries.

"When we speak of preventing Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon, we must keep all the possible means – I repeat, all possible means on the table," he said, speaking on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.



UK to Use Police Stations as Prisons under Emergency Measure

Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
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UK to Use Police Stations as Prisons under Emergency Measure

Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
Police officers are seen in London, Britain, November 27, 2024. REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

Police cells will temporarily be used to hold prisoners in a stop-gap measure to cope with overcrowding in jails, the British government said on Tuesday.

The emergency action, dubbed "Operation Safeguard", allows inmates to be held in police cells when prisons are full, and was previously used from February 2023 to October last year, Reuters said.

The prison population in England and Wales has doubled in the last 30 years, according to official data, leading to overcrowding as new places have failed to keep pace with demand. Justice systems in Scotland and Northern Ireland are run separately.

In a statement to parliament, Shabana Mahmood said the prison system was operating at more than 99% occupancy.

January saw the highest average monthly prison population growth in almost two years, as part of a rising trend in the last three months that "has only just begun to slow", she added.

"Given the recent increase in demand, it is necessary, and prudent, for me to temporarily reactivate Operation Safeguard to better manage the flow of offenders into the prison estate," Mahmood said.

According to the World Prison Brief database, imprisonment rates in England and Wales are higher than in other major European countries, with 141 detainees per 100,000 population, against 120 in France, 117 in Spain, 105 in Italy and 68 in Germany.