Iran-backed Houthis target Greek and British cargo ships in Red Sea
Houthis lauch fresh attack in Red Sea after joint airstrikes by the US and the UK in Yemen
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Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen fired six ballistic missiles at two ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, with one ship reporting minor damage.
A Greek-owned bulked carrier was struck by three of the projectiles fired by the Houthis on Tuesday afternoon.
Earlier in the day, the militants struck a British-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea.
The USS Laboon operating near the Greek ship “intercepted and shot down a third anti-ship ballistic missile fired” by the Houthis, the US Central Command said.
The Greek-owned Star Nasia was damaged by an explosion at 11.15am GMT, a Greek shipping ministry official said.
The fresh attacks come just two days after the US and the UK conducted joint airstrikes targeting Houthi bases in Yemen.
Meanwhile, the US has walked back its previous claims that it informed the Iraqi government it would be conducting airstrikes, saying that information was relayed incorrectly.
Vedant Patel, the state department spokesperson, clarified there “was not a pre-notification” but that they notified the Iraqi government “immediately after the strikes occurred”.
The US conducted retaliatory strikes on more than 85 targets in Iraq and Syria on Friday, resulting in at least 39 casualties.
Following the strikes, the White House refused to rule out US action inside Iran.
On Sunday, president Joe Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan told US news networks that further military action was likely, and would not rule out the possibility of strikes inside Iran’s borders.
“I’m not going to get into what’s on the table and off the table when it comes to the American response,” he told CBS.
Mr Sullivan called the airstrikes “the beginning, not the end of our response”. However, the US has insisted that it does not want a wider conflict across the Middle East.
Meetings in Egypt
The US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, is pressing ahead with a diplomatic tour of the Middle East, meeting Egyptian leaders as part of his efforts to secure a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, in exchange for the release of hostages.
Mr Blinken's visit also comes amid growing concerns in Egypt about Israel's stated intentions to expand the combat in Gaza to areas on the Egyptian border where many displaced Palestinians now live.
Israel's defense minister has said Israel's offensive will eventually reach the town of Rafah, on the Egyptian border, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million people have sought refuge and are now living in increasingly miserable conditions. Egypt has warned that an Israeli deployment along the border would threaten the peace treaty the two countries signed over four decades ago. Egypt fears an expansion of combat to the Rafah area could push terrified Palestinian civilians across the border, a scenario Egypt has said it is determined to prevent.
UK ship still heading to Singapore
A military spokesman of the Iranian-backed Houthis, Brigadier General. Yahya Saree, claimed in a statement that the group attacked two separate vessels, one American and one British, in the Red Sea on Tuesday. He provided no evidence to support the claim.
One of the ships the Houthis claimed attacking, the Morning Tide, is said to be continuing on its journey. The Morning Tide's owner, British firm Furadino Shipping, said no one was hurt in the attack and the ship will keep travelling towards Singapore.
US walks back claim it gave Iraq a heads up
On Monday, US officials walked back their previous claim that they gave Iraqi government a heads up before airstrikes were conducted on Friday.
“As for this specific response on Friday, there was not a pre-notification. We informed the Iraqis immediately after the strikes occurred,” Vedant Patel, the State Department deputy spokesperson, said.
“Iraq, like every country in the region, understood that there would be a response after the deaths of our soldiers,” Mr Patel added.
Iraq had disputed National Security Council communications coordinator John Kirby’s claims that the US “did inform the Iraqi government prior to the strikes.”
Mr Kirby said on Monday he relayed the information that was given to him at the time of the strikes.
“It was not as specific as it could have been, and I regret any confusion caused,” Mr Kirby said
Most targets hit in Iraq and Syria
Most of the damage or destruction caused by the US’s airstrikes this past weekend were in Iraq and Syria, the Pentagon press secretary said on Monday.
On Friday and Saturday, the US conducted retaliatory strikes on targets in Iraq and Syria in response to the death of three American soldiers in Jordan. The US said it conducted “more than 85” targeted strikes, though officials did not disclose the exact number.
But on Monday, Major General Patrick Ryder said that “more than 80” of those strikes destroyed or severely damaged targets like command hubs, intelligence centres, ammunition bunkers and more for Iranian-backed militias.
Watch: Houthi site damage before and after US-led airstrikes captured by satellite
Import prices affected by Red Sea disruption
Overall input costs rose last month for the first time since September, the latest S&P Global / CIPS construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI) said on Monday.
Some firms flagged higher costs for imported building materials, mainly from Asia, due to attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have attacked commercial and military ships in what they say is an act of solidarity with the people of Palestine since the Israel-Hamas war began in October.
Now retailers are warning consumers of stock delays and higher costs as ships are forced to re-route away from the Red Sea.
PA contributed to this report
Pentagon cools fears over long term airstrike campaign in Iraq and Syria
After emphasizing the US would continue conducting retaliatory responses in Iraq and Syria over the death of three American soldiers, the Pentagon clarified the response would just be mission-based.
“Our goal is not to ‘OK game on, let’s just do this and go full-scale war against Iranian proxy groups in Iraq and Syria,’” Major General Patrick Ryder said on Monday.
“That’s not what we’re there for. We’re there to conduct the mission,” Mr Ryder said.
However, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US would be carrying out further responses.
Blinken seeks progress on Gaza cease-fire-for-hostages deal in meetings with Egyptian mediators
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Cairo on Tuesday for a meeting with Egyptian leaders that U.S. officials said would concentrate mainly on the task of negotiating a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in exchange for the release of hostages held by the militants.
Blinken’s visit also comes amid growing concerns in Egypt about Israel‘s stated intentions to expand the combat in Gaza to areas on the Egyptian border that are crammed with displaced Palestinians.
Israel’s defense minister has said Israel’s offensive will eventually reach the town of Rafah, on the Egyptian border, where more than half of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have sought refuge and live in increasingly miserable conditions.
U.N. humanitarian monitors said Tuesday that Israeli evacuation orders now cover two-thirds of Gaza’s territory, driving thousands more people every day toward the border areas.
Egypt has warned that an Israeli deployment along the border would threaten the peace treaty the two countries signed over four decades ago. Egypt fears an expansion of combat to the Rafah area could push terrified Palestinian civilians across the border, a scenario Egypt has said it is determined to prevent.
Pressure on Blinken to get Gaza truce breakthrough as Israeli forces close on last refuge for Palestinians
The US secretary of state is set to travel to the Gulf, Egypt, Qatar, Israel and the occupied West Bank, in his fifth attempt at furious shuttle diplomacy in the region since October. The 7 October attack by Hamas that killed around 1,200 people in Israel and saw another 250 taken hostage, and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza in response, has sparked clashes across the region. Gaza’s authorities say Israel’s air and ground assault has killed more than 27,400 Palestinians.
US officials have warned the situation in the Middle East is the most dangerous it has been in decades, as Iran-backed militias in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen have entered the fray, attacking US positions and global shipping routes, in retaliation for support of Israel’s offensive.
Bel Trew reports:
Pressure on Blinken to get Gaza truce breakthrough as Rafah fears grow
US secretary of state visits Middle East for fifth time since start of conflict with sticking points remaining in possible ceasefire deal, writes Bel Trew. Meanwhile, around a million Palestinians trapped in Rafah fear a military assault
A timeline of the strikes in the Middle East
January 28: Three US soldiers are killed and 25 others are injured in a drone attack in Jordan. President Joe Biden vows to “respond” to the incident but does not specify what that means.
January 29: The identity of the three fallen soldiers is revealed.
February 2: US military strikes more than 85 targets in Syria and Iraq in a retaliatory move. The military targeted facilities connected to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force and militias backed by Iran. An estimated 40 people are killed in the attacks.
February 3: The US and UK, with support from six other allied countries, launch attacks at dozens of sites in Yemen controlled by Houthi militants. The attack is related to an ongoing conflict in the Red Sea where Houthis have been attacking commercial and military ships.
February 4: Houthis vow to respond to the US’s attacks and Iran warns the US that carrying out more strikes will lead to more instability in the region. US strikes a Houthi land attack cruise missile.
February 5: US conducts a strike against two Houthi explosive uncrewed surface vehicles (USV).
February 6: Houthis attack a British-owned cargo.
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