Greek ship hit by Houthi rocket as US seizes Iranian missiles headed for Yemen

By James Rothwell

US forces launched fresh airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen on Tuesday, as the rebel group defied coalition warnings to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.

The US strikes targeted four anti-ship ballistic missiles in an undisclosed Houthi-controlled area of Yemen, US officials said.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Houthis struck a Greek-owned ship with a missile attack, while the United States announced it had seized a shipment of Iranian missiles headed for Yemen.

It was reportedly the third incident involving the Malta-flagged ship, reportedly a bulk vessel called the Zografia, in the past 24 hours, as the Houthis continued to launch attacks in defiance of last week’s US-UK airstrikes on the militia group.

It came as the US military announced that the Navy Seals had seized Iranian-supplied weapons which were being delivered to the Houthis during an operation last week.

US forces also launched additional airstrikes on Houthi positions on Monday night, though it was unclear what was targeted.

The Houthis say they are targeting ships passing through the Red Sea with any links to Israel in an attempt to stop Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza. However, many of the ships that came under attack in recent weeks have no links to the country.

Iran-supplied weapons seized

Since last week’s US-UK airstrikes, the Houthis have also announced they will begin targeting vessels with links to those countries in a move that risks even stronger Western military action.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees operations in the Middle East, announced on Tuesday, that it had seized a dhow, a traditional sailing vessel, carrying “advanced lethal aid” from Iran to Yemen.

“This is the first seizure of lethal, Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons to the Houthis since the beginning of Houthi attacks against merchant ships in November 2023,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

During that operation, US Navy Seals with support from helicopters and drones boarded the dhow near the coast of Somalia, seizing Iranian-made ballistic missiles and cruise missile components.

The dhow was then sunk as it was deemed “unsafe” by US forces. Two US Navy Seals were lost overboard and a search for them was ongoing as of Tuesday evening.

Both Navy Seals reportedly went overboard by accident, with the first knocked off the vessels by high waves, leading to the second jumping in to retrieve him.

On Tuesday, Qatar condemned the Western strikes on Yemen, warning that they would not deter the Houthis and were part of a “recipe for escalation everywhere”.

‘Western strikes could make situation worse’

The Houthi movement, an Iranian proxy group, has for the past decade been locked in a brutal civil war with Yemen’s internationally backed government and a Saudi-led coalition.

The militia group started attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, attempting to deter Israel from its ongoing war with Hamas, which so far has killed at least 24,000 Palestinians.

The war erupted after the Oct 7 massacre in which Hamas, another group backed by Iran, smashed through the Gaza fence and killed more than a thousand Israelis.

Elisabeth Kendall, a leading UK expert on the Houthis and Mistress of Girton College, Cambridge, has warned that Western strikes on the Houthis are unlikely to deter them from renewed attacks on commercial shipping.

“The problem now is that the actual effect it may have on the region is to make things even worse, and the reason I say that is the Houthis are no strangers to airstrikes – they have been in a civil war now for nine years, they’ve suffered more than 25,000 airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition and it didn’t deter them,” she told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle.

“So, I think looking ahead we might stand to see even more conflict start to erupt in this Red Sea region.”

A group of 26 aid groups operating in Yemen, including Islamic Relief and Save The Children, have urgently called for a diplomatic solution to the crisis in a joint statement.

“We urge all actors to prioritise diplomatic channels over military options to de-escalate the crisis and safeguard the progress of peace efforts in Yemen,” the statement said.

In a statement on Tuesday night, Yemen’s Houthi movement said it targeted the Zografia ship that was heading to Israel with naval missiles which resulted in a “direct hit”.

04:00 PM GMT

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03:58 PM GMT

Al-Maghazi refugee camp in pictures:

03:45 PM GMT

EU states give nod for Red Sea mission to deter Houthis

European Union member states have given initial backing to a naval mission to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement in the Red Sea, European diplomats said.

The diplomats said the bloc’s Political and Security Committee, which is responsible for foreign and defence policy. had given its initial support for the mission, which would work with like-minded partners.

The objective was to establish it by Feb. 19 at the latest, and to make it operational soon afterwards. Several diplomats said they hoped that the process could be fast-tracked given the tensions in the region.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) declined to comment on confidential discussions.

03:30 PM GMT

Israeli tanks 'storm back into northern Gaza,' say residents

Israeli tanks stormed back into parts of the northern Gaza Strip they had left last week, residents said, bringing back some of the most intense fighting since the New Year when Israel announced it was scaling back its operations there.

Massive explosions could be seen over northern areas of Gaza from across the border with Israel - a rarity over the past two weeks after Israel announced a draw-down of forces in the north as part of a transition to smaller, targeted operations.

Israel said its forces had killed dozens of Hamas fighters overnight in clashes in Beit Lahiya on the northern edge of the Gaza Strip.

Some of the hundreds of thousands of residents who fled the north earlier in the war had begun returning last week to bombed-out areas where the Israelis had withdrawn. But residents who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday said the abrupt resurgence of fighting in the north would now halt plans to try to go home.

“We almost planned to return to our house in Nazla, east of Jabalia, but thank God we didn’t. This morning people living nearby arrived here and told us the tanks pushed back there,” said Abu Khaled, 43, a father of three now living with relatives in severely damaged Gaza City.

02:54 PM GMT

Israeli president to bring families of hostages to Davos

The Israeli president will take the families of hostages to Davos for meetings with world leaders.

Isaac Herzog’s office said he would fly to Switzerland on Wednesday along with the relatives of those still held in captivity by Hamas.

The meetings are designed to “promote intense political pressure” for the hostage’s release.

His appearance will include an on-stage interview at the conference.

02:15 PM GMT

Qatar condemns coalition air strikes in Yemen

Qatar’s prime minister condemned coalition airstrikes in Yemen, and warned regional tension was a “recipe for escalation everywhere”.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani told Davos that missile strikes in Yemen will not stop Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea as he called for an end to the war in Gaza.

Sheikh Mohammed said at the World Economic Forum: “We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza in order to get everything else defused...if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, (solutions) will be temporary”.

He added that US and British attacks create “a high risk of further escalation and further expansion” of the conflict.

“We always prefer diplomacy over any military resolutions,” he said.

His warnings come after Grant Shapps said that tensions across the world were rising, adding that we were in a “pre-war world”.

02:05 PM GMT

Ben & Jerry’s calls for permanent Gaza ceasefire

Ben & Jerry’s has called for a “permanent and immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, raising the prospect of renewed tensions with its owner Unilever.

Anuradha Mittal, who chairs the ice cream maker’s board of directors, urged policymakers to act in an interview with the Financial Times, as she said that “peace is a core value of the brand”.

She said: “From Iraq to Ukraine [the company] has consistently stood up for these principles. Today is no different as we call for peace and a permanent and immediate ceasefire.”

Read more here

01:44 PM GMT

EU add Sinwar to terrorist sanctions blacklist

The European Union on Tuesday added Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar to its “terrorist” sanctions blacklist over the October 7 attacks on Israel.

The move means that Sinwar is subject to an asset freeze in the 27-nation EU and bans EU citizens conducting transactions with him.

Hamas is already listed as a “terrorist” organisation by the bloc.

01:10 PM GMT

Greece confirms Greek-owned bulk carrier hit by missile off Yemen

Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia with 24 crew on board was hit by a missile off Yemen, two Greek shipping ministry sources told Reuters on Tuesday.

This confirms earlier reports [see post at 12:16] that the vessel was hit while transiting northbound in the Red Sea.

The vessel was sailing empty of cargo from Vietnam to Israel, one of the sources said, adding that there were no injuries.

01:06 PM GMT

Saudis could recognise Israel if Palestinian issue resolved

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said the kingdom could recognise Israel if the Palestinian issue is resolved.

Asked at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos whether Saudi Arabia could take this step as part of a wider agreement after a resolution of the Palestinian conflict, Prince Faisal bin Farhan said “certainly”.

12:26 PM GMT

Iran attacks Mossad 'spy HQ' in Iraq

Iran says it destroyed an Israeli “spy headquarters” in a missile attack located near the US consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they carried out the ballistic missile strike “in response to the recent atrocities of the Zionist regime”.

Four civilians were killed and six injured after missiles hit an upscale area near the consulate in Erbil, the seat of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, according to the security council of the Kurdish regional government.

The United States strongly condemned “Iran’s reckless missile strikes” in Erbil, adding that the attack undermined “Iraq’s stability”. The attack also angered Iraq, which recalled its ambassador from Tehran.

Israel has not acknowledged the attack in Erbil, or commented yet on the allegation that the target was linked to Mossad, its intelligence agency.

It has been engaged in a shadow war with Iran for years, with tit-for-tat strikes hitting positions around the Middle East.

12:16 PM GMT

UKMTO receives report of incident northwest of Yemen's Saleef

Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, said in an advisory note that a Malta-flagged Greek-owned bulk carrier was reportedly targeted and impacted with a missile while transiting northbound in the Red Sea 76 nautical miles northwest of Yemen’s port city of Saleef.

11:41 AM GMT

US military says it seized Iranian weapons bound for Yemen's Houthis on Jan 11

US Central Command said that it had seized Iranian advanced conventional weapons bound for Yemen’s Houthis on Jan. 11.

It was the first seizure of “lethal Iranian-supplied advanced conventional weapons” to the Houthis since Houthi attacks against merchant ships began in November, the statement added.

11:16 AM GMT

Pictured: A vet carries out checkups on the cats of those displaced by the war in Gaza

11:08 AM GMT

Iran is attacking civilians, says Kurdish PM

Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, has accused Iran of killing innocent civilians in its strikes on the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards earlier alleged they attacked an Israeli spy centre in the region.

Speaking on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos after the attack, Mr Barzani said the Iranian allegations were baseless and added that now was not the time for US forces to withdraw from the country.

10:43 AM GMT

End Gaza war to stop Houthi attacks, says Qatari PM

Military strikes will not contain attacks by Yemen’s Houthis on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea, but an end to the war in Gaza will, Qatar’s prime minister said during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman Al Thani described the current regional situation as a “recipe for escalation everywhere” and said Qatar believes that defusing the conflict in Gaza will stop the escalation on other fronts.

“We need to address the central issue, which is Gaza in order to get everything else defused...if we are just focusing on the symptoms and not treating the real issues, (solutions) will be temporary,” he said.

10:31 AM GMT

'The largest single loss of life in the history of our organisation' - 152 UN staff killed in Gaza since October 7

10:17 AM GMT

Israel to 'enter less intensive phase of war'

Israel has said its operations against Hamas in southern Gaza will soon enter a less intensive phase.

Yoav Gallant, the Israeli defence minister, said that intense operations would soon be winding down in the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah.

“We made it clear that the intensive manoeuvring stage would last for approximately three months,” Mr Gallant told a news conference, adding that stage was already being reached in the northern Gaza Strip.

“In southern Gaza we will reach this achievement and it will end soon, and in both places, the moment will come when we will move to the next phase,” he said, without specifying a time frame.

Israel’s army confirmed that one of its four divisions operating in the territory completed its withdrawal on Monday.

However, Israeli officials, including Benjamin Netanyahu over the weekend, have repeatedly warned the fighting in Gaza will go on for months.

10:12 AM GMT

Israel is placing 'big impediments' to aid for Palestinians, says Jordan

Ayman Safadi, Jordan’s foreign minister, said Israel was placing many obstacles to the entry of aid into Gaza that were worsening the plight of Palestinians.

In remarks during a press conference with his Australian counterpart, Mr Safadi said these hurdles meant only 10 per cent of the total needs of more than two million Gazans under siege were being covered.

At least 24,285 Palestinians have been killed and 61,154 have been wounded in Israeli strikes on Gaza since Oct 7, the Hamas-run health ministry has said.

10:00 AM GMT

Iraq recalls ambassador from Tehran

Iraq said it has recalled its ambassador from Tehran for consultations after its ally’s Revolutionary Guards carried out deadly missile attacks on its autonomous Kurdish region.

Ambassador Nassir Abdel Mohsen was “recalled for consultations in the context of the latest Iranian attacks on (regional capital) Arbil in which there were dead and wounded,” a foreign ministry statement said.

More to follow

09:49 AM GMT

Pictured: Aftermath of destruction in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City

09:40 AM GMT

Mandatory path to two-state solution key to stability, says Qatar

Requiring Israel to agree to a time-bound, mandatory path to a two-state solution is key to future stability in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Qatar’s prime minister said on Tuesday during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the Palestinians must be the ones to decide if the Hamas movement that runs Gaza will continue to play a political role in the future.

09:27 AM GMT

US and British military strikes 'will not contain Houthis' without diplomatic efforts, says Qatar

US and British military strikes will not contain the attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea without diplomatic efforts, Qatar’s prime minister said, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) meeting in Davos.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said Qatar believes that defusing the conflict in Gaza will stop the escalation on other fronts, adding that the current regional situation is a “recipe for escalation everywhere”.

His comments come as Yemen’s vice president said the US-led coalition meant to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea against attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthis is weak because regional powerhouses Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt did not take part.

Aidarous al-Zubaidi, Yemen’s vice president and head of the Southern Transitional Council, told Reuters: “This Bab al-Mandab corridor is of interest to the whole world and to the region, so regional intervention is key”.

09:05 AM GMT

Iran 'escalating regional tensions,' says France

France accused Iran of violating Iraq’s sovereignty after Iran’s Revolutionary Guards claimed to have struck a purported Israeli “spy headquarters” in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

“Such acts represent blatant, unacceptable and worrying violations of Iraq’s sovereignty and an attack on its stability and security, as well as that of Kurdistan within it,” France’s foreign ministry said.

“They contribute to the escalation of regional tensions and must stop.”

08:50 AM GMT

UN condemns Iranian missile attack on Erbil

The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said:

08:38 AM GMT

Iran says Revolutionary Guards attack Israeli 'spy HQ' in Iraq

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said they attacked the “spy headquarters” of Israel in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, state media reported late on Monday.

The Guards said in a statement: “In response to the recent atrocities of the Zionist regime, causing the killing of commanders of the Guards and the Axis of Resistance ... one of the main Mossad espionage headquarters in Iraq’s Kurdistan region was destroyed with ballistic missiles.”

Four civilians were killed and six injured after missiles hit an upscale area near the consulate in Erbil, the seat of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region, according to the security council of the Kurdish regional government.

The United States strongly condemned “Iran’s reckless missile strikes” in Erbil, said Matthew Miller, the state department spokesman. He added that the attack undermined “Iraq’s stability”.

Reuters could not independently verify the report. Israeli government officials were not reachable for immediate comment.

Iraq condemned on Tuesday Iran’s “aggression” on Erbil that led to civilian casualties in residential areas, according to a statement by the country’s foreign ministry.

08:29 AM GMT

Israeli military says special forces carried out strike in Lebanon

The Israeli military said that its special forces had carried out a strike in the area of Ayta ash Shab in Lebanon.

“IDF special forces struck in order to remove a threat in the area of Ayta ash Shab in Lebanon,” the military said.

It did not say what kind of forces had struck nor where specifically they had operated.

The military also said its aircraft struck an anti-tank missile launcher in southern Lebanon that belonged to the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah.

08:26 AM GMT

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