live Updates: Houthis assure security for Russian, Chinese vessels in Red Sea

Friday, January 19, 2024

05:30 GMT - Houthis assure security for Russian, Chinese vessels in Red Sea

A senior Houthi official has promised safe passage for Russian and Chinese vessels through the Red Sea, where the Iran-backed Yemeni group has been carrying out attacks on commercial ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

In an interview published by Russian outlet Izvestia, senior Houthi official Mohammed al Bukhaiti insisted the waters around Yemen, which some shipping firms are avoiding due to the ongoing aggression, were safe so long as vessels were not linked to certain countries, particularly Israel.

"As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their shipping in the region is not threatened," he said.

04:55 GMT - Yemen's Houthis say struck US ship amid Israel's war on Gaza

Yemen's Houthi group has said it carried out a missile strike on a US ship in the Gulf of Aden.

The group said in a statement posted on its social media that its forces had attacked the Chem Ranger ship "with several appropriate naval missiles, resulting in direct hits". It did not give a time for the attack.

British maritime risk management company Ambrey said the Chem Ranger was a US-owned Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker.

"There were no crew casualties or damage reported," the monitor said.

04:20 GMT - Israeli minister says he prevented Israel from attacking Hezbollah

Israeli Cabinet Minister and former military chief Gadi Eizenkot has told Israel's Channel 12 that he prevented Israel from preemptively attacking Hezbollah in Lebanon in the days after Hamas' blitz.

Eizenkot said Israel was on the verge of striking Hezbollah, though the group, designated as a "terror organisation" by Western states, had not yet fired on Israel. Eizenkot said he convinced officials in the war cabinet to hold off.

"I think our presence there prevented Israel from making a grave strategic mistake," Eizenkot said.

03:40 GMT - US says 'no way' to solve conflict without Palestinian state

There is "no way" to solve Israel's long-term security challenges in the region and the short-term challenges of rebuilding besieged Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.

Speaking at a news briefing, Miller said Israel had an opportunity right now as countries in the region were ready to provide security assurances to Israel.

"But there is no way to solve their long-term challenges to provide lasting security, and there is no way to solve the short-term challenges of rebuilding Gaza and establishing governance in Gaza and providing security for Gaza without the establishment of a Palestinian state."

For our live updates from Wednesday, January 18, click here.