Tehran Warns Against Cooperation with ‘Maritime Alliance to Deter Houthis’

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, last Friday (Iranian Presidency)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, last Friday (Iranian Presidency)
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Tehran Warns Against Cooperation with ‘Maritime Alliance to Deter Houthis’

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, last Friday (Iranian Presidency)
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi with the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami, last Friday (Iranian Presidency)

In response to Washington’s efforts to form a maritime alliance to address threats to navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Iran issued a warning against collaboration with the US in countering Houthi attacks.

Ali Shamkhani, the political affairs advisor to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, defended Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, describing them as “courageous.”

Shamkhani asserted that Houthi actions aimed at restricting maritime movement to and from Israel put pressure on a vital lifeline for the latter.

This marks the first official commentary from a high-ranking official in Khamenei’s office regarding Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.

Mohsen Rezaee, senior military officer in the Revolutionary Guard and former Vice President of Iran for Economic Affairs, dismissed accusations of Iran supporting the Houthis as a “big lie.”

Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and deputy foreign minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, emphasized the importance of resistance forces for stability in the region.

He hinted at a potential shift in the strategic, political, and security landscape in the region after the war in Gaza, stating that resistance could not be denied as an effective player in the regional map.

On his part, Iranian Defense Minister Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani warned against the formation of the maritime alliance, asserting Iran’s predominance over the Red Sea and rejecting any maneuvering by external forces in the region.

This statement raised concerns among Iranians about the possibility of direct involvement in a war with the US.

Conservative Iranian newspaper “Khorasan” suggested that Houthi actions significantly influenced the calculations of the US, the UK, Israel, and their allies concerning the war and the Gaza crisis.

The newspaper predicted the failure of any multinational task force to protect shipping in the Red Sea against the Houthis and highlighted Ashtiani’s warning about the formation of such an alliance.



Protest Against Gaza War Prevents Israeli Visitors from Touring Greek Island

Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
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Protest Against Gaza War Prevents Israeli Visitors from Touring Greek Island

Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)
Two empty chairs stand on a beach as people cool off during a heat wave, near Athens, Greece, 22 July 2025. (EPA)

A cruise ship carrying Israeli tourists left the Greek island of Syros Tuesday without its passengers disembarking, after more than 150 protesters demonstrated at the island’s port, unfurling Palestinian flags and calling for an end to the war in Gaza.

Carrying banners that read: “Stop the Genocide” and “No a/c in hell” — a reference to the conditions Palestinians face in the Gaza Strip — the protesters chanted slogans on the dock near where the cruise ship, the Crown Iris, was docked on Tuesday, local media said. There were no reports of any violence.

The ship is operated by an Israeli company, Mano Cruise, which said about 1,700 passengers were on board and it is sailing to Cyprus.

Greece’s coast guard said the ship set sail at around 3 p.m., earlier than originally scheduled, but did not immediately have any further details.

“The management of Mano Cruise has decided in light of the situation in the city of Syros to now sail to another tourist destination,” the company said in a press release. “All passengers and crew members are resting and spending time on the ship on their way to the new destination.”

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar contacted his Greek counterpart, George Gerapetritis, over the incident, the Greek foreign ministry confirmed. It did not release any details of their discussion.