Yemeni Minister Says Houthis Exploiting Safer Tanker to Blackmail Int’l Community

The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen
The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen
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Yemeni Minister Says Houthis Exploiting Safer Tanker to Blackmail Int’l Community

The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen
The Safer Oil Tanker sailing off Hodeidah, Yemen

The Yemeni Minister of Water and Environment, Tawfiq al-Sharjabi, warned of a possible disaster in the Red Sea because of a possible spill from the Safer oil tanker.

Sharjabi accused the Houthi militias of using the floating tank off the coast of Hodeidah Governorate to blackmail the international community, thus threatening regional and local marine life and the lives of millions of people.

The Minister’s remarks came during the ninth session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Water Convention, "Water and Peace" held at the UN headquarters in Geneva.

Sharjabi explained that the explosion of the tanker loaded with more than 1.1 million barrels of oil could affect 8,523 water points from water wells, polluting them along with many river valleys of at least 500 km.

The Minister reviewed the national plan for implementing the agreement and the challenges facing his country to achieve water security.

He highlighted the importance of protecting civil water infrastructure from being targeted, and working to make water a part of peace and agreements between residents of the same country or between regional countries.

He pointed out that water facilities have been targeted at least 180 times in Yemen, the Gaza Strip, Syria, and Libya since 2011.

The Minister pinpointed the daily suffering of the people displaced and those of host communities in Yemen due to the Houthi coup militia's war and its targeting of water infrastructure, maintenance, and delivery.

“Because of the circumstances, most of the water needs are covered by tanker trucks, the price of which has increased due to war, the rise in fuel prices, and the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic. In most cases, this water is not monitored which makes women, girls and children the most affected by these conditions,” said Sharjabi.

The Minister pointed out that the Houthi militia control water resources in the cities with a high population density, such as Taiz, which is already suffering from water scarcity.

The militia does not hesitate to use water as a weapon in its war to pressure the population and blackmail the legitimate government.

The Minister called on the international community to ensure that water, environmental issues, and climate change are prioritized in the global peacebuilding agenda.

He urged a "do no harm" approach when designing and implementing water, sanitation, and hygiene projects to prevent further water wastage in countries that suffer from water crises, such as Yemen and many regional countries.



Barrack Says Hezbollah Involvement in Iran-Israel War Would Be 'Very Bad Decision'

A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
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Barrack Says Hezbollah Involvement in Iran-Israel War Would Be 'Very Bad Decision'

A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)
A handout photo released by the Lebanese Presidency press office on June 19, 2025 shows Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (R) welcoming US negotiator Thomas Barrack at the presidential palace of Baabda east of Beirut. (Photo by Lebanese Presidency / AFP)

The US special envoy for Syria Tom Barrack on Thursday warned Hezbollah against getting involved in the war between its main backer Iran and Israel.

"I can say on behalf of President (Donald) Trump... that would be a very, very, very bad decision," Barrack said, responding to a question on what the US position would be on any involvement by Hezbollah in the war.

Barrack met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Palace and Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh.

Hezbollah has condemned Israel's strikes on Iran and expressed full solidarity with its leadership.

Hezbollah on Thursday expressed support for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei following threats by Israeli leaders that he could be killed.

In a statement, Hezbollah said that “threats to assassinate (Khamenei) are foolish and reckless, and will have disastrous consequences.”

But the group has stopped short of making explicit threats to intervene.

Israel's defense minister said Thursday that Khamenei "can no longer be allowed to exist" after an Israeli hospital was hit during an Iranian missile attack.

"Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed -- he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal," Israel Katz told journalists in Holon near Tel Aviv. "Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist."

Killing Khamenei would "end the conflict" between Israel and Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.