Yemen Denies Coalition Participation…Houthi Escalation Sees Targeting of Fuel Tanker

A military boat affiliated with the Yemeni government forces patrols off the coast of Mokha city (Saba News Agency)
A military boat affiliated with the Yemeni government forces patrols off the coast of Mokha city (Saba News Agency)
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Yemen Denies Coalition Participation…Houthi Escalation Sees Targeting of Fuel Tanker

A military boat affiliated with the Yemeni government forces patrols off the coast of Mokha city (Saba News Agency)
A military boat affiliated with the Yemeni government forces patrols off the coast of Mokha city (Saba News Agency)

Amid rising tensions with the Houthi group targeting international vessels in the Red Sea and threatening further attacks, a Yemeni military source has unequivocally denied involvement on Thursday in a new international coalition against the group.
The source, who remained anonymous, emphasized that decisions in this regard are a sovereign prerogative of the highest authorities, referencing the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).
According to a report by the state-run Saba news agency, the source emphasized the importance of supporting the capabilities of the Yemeni government and its relevant agencies in protecting regional waters to deter threats from Houthi militias and contain their catastrophic implications on international navigation, the humanitarian situation in Yemen, and global peace and security.
The Yemeni source reiterated a warning to the Houthis, cautioning against their reckless ventures that jeopardize national interests and the risks of militarizing Yemen's regional waters, potentially turning them into a broader international conflict theater.
Yemen’s Houthis claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a missile strike on a Norwegian-flagged tanker a day earlier off Yemen’s coast in the Red Sea.
Moreover, US reports revealed on Wednesday that another commercial ship, carrying a fuel shipment, narrowly evaded two missiles close to the Bab el Mandeb Strait.
Houthis claim that their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and vow to target all ships heading to Israeli ports, irrespective of their nationality.
The Yemeni government contends that the group follows Iran’s directives, disassociating its attacks from the Palestinian cause.
Amid concerns that the militarization of the Red Sea may impede the UN-led peace process in Yemen mediated by Saudi Arabia and Oman, the French Navy confirmed downing a Houthi drone on Tuesday, marking Paris’s second intervention against Houthi attacks.
As the US threatens military intervention in Yemen, the Yemeni government approaches the escalating situation cautiously, while the international community holds responsibility for developments in the Red Sea.
Major powers have hindered the liberation of Hodeidah and its ports, pressing for the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement.
The Houthi group has exploited this agreement to enhance its military capabilities, escalating its threat to navigation in the Red Sea.

 

 



Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
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Syria’s Finance Minister Says Foreign Investors Welcome after US Sanctions Move

A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)
A girl holds a Syrian flag, as people celebrate after US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would order the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in Damascus, Syria May 13 , 2025. (Reuters)

Syrian Finance Minister Yisr Barnieh made a call to global investors on Wednesday to come do business with Syria after US President Donald Trump's surprise announcement that he would lift all of Washington's sanctions on the country.

"Syria today is a land of opportunities, with immense potential across every sector—from agriculture to oil, tourism, infrastructure, and transportation,” Barnieh said in an interview with Reuters at the Finance Ministry in Damascus.

"We envision a central role for the private sector in the new Syrian economy. The finance ministry's role is not to spend indiscriminately or act as a regulatory enforcer over businesses, but rather to enable and support growth."

A wall outside his office still bore the discolored outline of one of the many posters of former strongman Bashar al-Assad that used to hang in Syria's public buildings before his ousting by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) last year.

Changes in Syria have been swift since Assad fled to Russia in December of last year.

HTS commander Ahmed Sharaa was appointed president, formed a government and had quick success garnering Gulf Arab support and getting most European sanctions lifted.

The stunning turn of events was capped by a meeting between Sharaa and Trump in Riyadh on Wednesday after Trump's pledge to cease US sanctions imposed on Syria under Assad-family rule, measures widely seen as the biggest external obstacles to the country's economic recovery.

Trump has not set out a timeline for removal.

"One of the most critical outcomes of lifting sanctions would be Syria's reintegration into the global financial system," Barnieh said.

"This would allow us to restore financial flows and attract investments, which are urgently needed across all sectors,” he said, adding that Syrian authorities have already seen strong interest from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, and several EU countries, among others.

He noted that the government is undertaking a comprehensive overhaul of public financial management, including reforms to the tax system, customs, and banking -- part of a broader effort to modernize an economy long burdened by an oversized public sector.

He also struck a cautioning tone, saying that the removal of sanctions would be just the first step in a years-long recovery for a country ruined by 14 years of war.

"The lifting of sanctions is not the final chapter," he said.

"We cannot afford to become complacent. We are entering a new phase that demands real results and visible progress on the ground."