Persian Gulf Arab Nations Support UN-Led Efforts For Yemen Ceasefire

The militant group stated that its fighters employed drones to target the base in Al-Khazra village in Syrian territory, taking the attacks on US targets in the region to over 100 since the Gaza war began on October 7.

Iranian proxies have said that the US backing of Israel in its retaliation of the Hamas invasion of October 7, killing 1,200 mostly civilians and taking over 240 hostage, led to the US attacks in the region.

Earlier reports on Saturday night had indicated that the Islamic Resistance in Iraq targeted a US base in the Hasakah province of Syria with rockets. Extremist militant groups supported by Iran, have launched attacks against US and Israeli targets in the region including Lebanese Hezbollah on Israel's southern border and attacks on Red Sea vessels by the Houthis in Yemen. 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Iraq to fulfill its commitments to protect all bases hosting US troops earlier this month as Iraq and Syria come under continued attack. As a result of the Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, pledging to target US and Israeli interests, a multi-nation coalition has been led by the US to counter such threats, with at least 20 nations participating. Despite the initiative, the Biden administration faces increasing criticism for its perceived failure to deter Iran and its proxies in the Middle East.

Thousands in the war-torn country have been hired since October 7, as the Yemeni militia steps up both naval and aerial attacks against Israel, the US and their allies.

Just last month, the Houthis' leader said 10,000 more troops had been recruited amid the dire poverty in the Middle East's poorest nation, and thousands more, including child soldiers, are now among those taken in the second round of training in the proxy war being waged against Israel, The Times reports. 

Yemen is notorious for its taking on child soldiers, and the latest war, which is being waged in support of Gaza's Hamas militia, is the latest campaign which has seen the Houthis come back to the fore.

Houthis’ Information Minister Dhaif Allah (Dhaifullah) Al-Shami told Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed Monday that any country that joins the US-led international maritime coalition - now comprising at least 20 nations - to protect Red Sea trade will become a target from the Yemeni rebels.

Hours after Washington launched the multinational force, Houthis threatened to ‘sink’ US warships. The new maritime coalition includes Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Norway, Netherlands, Seychelles and Bahrain. It was formed in response to Houthi attacks on commercial vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, transiting between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates have chosen not to join the multinational naval alliance. 

“Any alliance of this kind is essentially a pact to protect Israeli ships, supporting Israel and encouraging it to continue its crimes in Gaza," al-Shami said. "Even if the entire world united forces to deter us, it would not work. As the coalition's circle widens, so will our targets."

The threats echo similar warnings by the Iran-funded militia group, saying they target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality. The Houthis have attacked and seized several Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and its Bab al-Mandab strait, a sea lane through which most of the world's oil is shipped, and fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel. 

Also on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani claimed that Iran is an integral part of ensuring security in international waters, playing a crucial role in maritime security and international trade. “The US government is not in a position to level accusations against Iran in this regard,” he said. 

On Friday, the White House said that Iran was "deeply involved" in Yemen's Houthis’ operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and its intelligence was critical to facilitate the attacks. While the US has avoided pointing direct blame at Iran for regional tensions, instead focusing on its proxies, the Pentagon announced that the kamikaze drone that struck an oil tanker in the Indian Ocean early Saturday morning was launched directly from Iran.

Referring to the Indian Ocean attack, Kanaani said that “US accusations are endless," trying to project that the Islamic Republic is not involved in the attacks. 

Palestinian Islamist militia Hamas, another Iran-backed group, declared war on Israel on October 7 in a surprise attack that they codenamed Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, killing over 1,200, mostly civilians and taking about 250 hostages. In retaliation, Israel has been pounding the enclave to uproot Hamas, which has made the war exceedingly bloody, hiding deep among the civilian population and underneath the coastal sliver’s non-military facilities.

The Houthis are one of several Iran-backed militant groups in the Middle East. They have been effectively in a state of war with Saudi Arabia since 2015 and have claimed support for Palestinians since the Hamas terror attack on Israel on October 7. The Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas conflict - which has spread around the region - attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.

Iran supports Hamas but says it did not play any role in the Islamist militants' terror attack that triggered the current crisis. Tehran also denies involvement in the recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Iran also backs Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group that has deep ties with Hamas and Islamic Jihad, another Palestinian faction in Gaza that is also backed by Iran. Since October 7, it has also been the most active in its attacks on Israel's northern border since the second Lebanon war.

Iran's current war strategy is employing proxy forces to target Israel, Israeli assets, and US military installations in the region. Since the October 7 attack, Tehran has been warning of the spillover of the conflict in case of a regional escalation, but at the same time cheers attacks against Israel and the United States.

The confirmation follows reports from Lebanese media outlet Al-Mayadeen and Reuters, citing unnamed security sources, indicating that Mousavi, a high-ranking IRGC commander, was reportedly killed on Monday in an alleged Israeli airstrike near Damascus. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the claims. 

Explosions were noted in the Set Zaynab area in the Damascus countryside, with social media footage capturing a plume of smoke near the frequently targeted Damascus International Airport—a location often utilized by Iranian proxies in the region.

Unconfirmed reports from Iranian opposition media propose that Mousavi played a crucial role in coordinating financial and logistical support from Tehran to Iranian proxies in Syria.

Considered close to Qassem Soleimani, the former head of the Quds Force killed by a US drone in January 2020, Mousavi's demise is viewed as another significant loss for the IRGC in the region, according to Iranian media sources.

Amidst the ongoing Syrian conflict since 2011, the United Nations estimates that over 300,000 civilians lost their lives in the first decade. The war, persisting for 12 years, has displaced more than half of the country's pre-war population of 22 million, contributing significantly to Europe's migrant crisis.

Syria remains far from stable, influenced heavily by both Moscow and Tehran. The intricate relationship between Russia and Iran faces additional strain as they compete for increased influence in Syria. Iran's presence in the region adds complexity to the ongoing shadow war between Iran and Israel, with a primary focus on Syria.

The decision follows Maersk's temporary suspension of vessel transit through the Bab al-Mandab strait in December. The action was taken in response to attacks from Iran's Yemeni proxy, the Houthis, on Maersk ships, resulting in the closure of the Suez Canal—a critical artery for global trade—rendering it impassable for a majority of routes.

On Tuesday, the United States officially declared the initiation of a multinational operation aimed at safeguarding Red Sea commerce from the Iran-backed militants. Since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, the Houthis have been launching drones and missiles at international vessels, citing their actions as a response to Israel's attacks on fellow Iran-backed militants, Hamas.

In a statement released on Sunday, Maersk confirmed the establishment and activation of the previously disclosed multinational security initiative, Operation Prosperity Guardian (OPG). The primary objective of OPG is to facilitate maritime commerce through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, thereby facilitating the resumption of traffic through the Suez Canal—a crucial link connecting Asia and Europe.

"With the OPG initiative in effect, we are preparing to allow vessels to resume transit through the Red Sea both eastbound and westbound," stated Maersk in the official communication. The company emphasized that additional details would be forthcoming in the coming days and highlighted the potential reconsideration of diverting ship traffic based on evolving safety conditions.

Concurrently, other entities, including the oil major BP, have also suspended transit through the Red Sea in recent weeks due to heightened safety apprehensions.

Referring to the islands of Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa in the Persian Gulf, MP Ahmad Avaei, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said President Ebrahim Raisi's reaction to Russia is weak. “It is surprising that Iran does not exhibit a strong reaction to Russia's actions," he said.

Avaei demanded a serious review of Iran's foreign policy and a more thorough examination of the possible damages inflicted by such political maneuvers by Russia.

Meanwhile, former Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated during a gathering that it is natural for Russia to act according to its own interests. "If we offered excessive concessions to Russia with the wrong mindset, we should not expect similar behavior from Moscow," he said.

In spite of Iran and Russian getting ever closer since the Ukraine war, Avaei said Iran could not expect loyalty from Russia, which has historically been a fair-weather ally, from the Iran-Iraq war when it sided with Iraq to the latest dispute. “The Russians have always been the way they are, and one should not think that they have changed," he said. "They feel that this move contributes to their income, given Russia's strong interest in petrodollars, surpassing even their interest in dealings with Iran."

The issue is a recurring controversy in Iran as Russia endorses the UAE’s claim whenever there is a joint summit between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the Russian Federation within a framework called the Russian-Arab Cooperation. Like all previous meetings, Moscow and the GCC issued a joint declaration in Morocco last week, reaffirming support for the United Arab Emirates which claims sovereignty over the islands.

The declaration has dozens of articles, most of which are merely repeated from one event to the other, calling for "bilateral negotiations or the International Court of Justice, in accordance with the rules of international law and the United Nations Charter, to resolve this issue in accordance with international legitimacy". 

Iranian media, opposition activists and ordinary Iranians usually view the regime’s reactions as not strong enough. On Friday, Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian held a phone call with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, who reportedly reassured Iran that "The sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran has always been respected by Russia and Moscow's official policy in this regard should never be doubted."

The three Persian Gulf islands have historically been part of Iran, proof of which can be corroborated by historical and geographical documents. However, the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly laid claim to the islands, describing the situation as “the continued occupation by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

The three islands fell under British control in 1921 but on November 30, 1971, a day after British forces left the region and just two days before the UAE was to become an official federation, Mohammad Reza Shah sent the Iranian navy to secure all three. Iranian forces remain on the islands, with only Abu Musa having a civilian population which is less than two thousand.

During the past few years, each time Russia declares its alignment with the Arab states, the domestic political scene in Iran is abuzz with comments about how Moscow exploits its ties with Tehran. 

Avaei also pointed to Iran's economic interests in relation to Russia and said that the relationship with Moscow not only does not have economic benefits for Tehran but also harms Iran because Russia sells goods at a higher price to Iran."

The lawmaker also referred to Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, saying that Russia is not aiming for the resolution of issues or the enhancement of Iran's global relations. “Russians prefer an isolated Iran that only has ties with them,” Avaei underlined.