© ReutersThe cargo ship "Galaxy Leader" after being hijacked by Houthi boats in the Red Sea
An Iranian Revolutionary Guards commander said the Mediterranean Sea could be closed
if the United States and its allies continued to commit "crimes" in Gaza, Iranian media reported on Saturday, without explaining how that would happen.
Iran backs Hamas against Israel and it accuses the United States of backing what it calls Israeli crimes in Gaza, where weeks of bombardment have killed thousands of people and driven most of the population from their homes.
"They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, (the Strait of) Gibraltar and other waterways," Tasnim quoted Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Guards, as saying.
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group has over the past month attacked merchant vessels sailing through the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's assault on Gaza, leading some shipping companies to switch routes.
The White House on Friday said Iran was "deeply involved" in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Iran has no direct access to the Mediterranean itself and it was not clear how the Guards could attempt to close it off, although Naqdi talked of "the birth of new powers of resistance and the closure of other waterways"."Yesterday, the Arabian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz became a nightmare for them, and today they are trapped ... in the Red Sea," Naqdi was quoted as saying.
The only groups backed by Iran on the Mediterranean are Lebanon's Hezbollah and allied militia in Syria, at the far end of the sea from Gibraltar.
Comment: gCaptain
reports:
Spain, Italy, France Decline US Command Of Red Sea Operation Prosperity Guardian
The United States is assembling a multinational naval coalition to help safeguard commercial traffic from attacks by Yemen's Houthi movement. On Thursday, the Pentagon said more than 20 countries had now agreed to participate in the group, known as Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Some countries have not confirmed their participation, however, while others have said their efforts to help protect Red Sea commercial traffic will be as part of existing naval agreements rather than the new U.S.-led operation.
The lack of details and clarity over what countries are doing has added to confusion for shipping companies, some of which have been re-routing vessels away from the area after the attacks, which the Houthis say are a response to Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip.
WHAT HAS THE UNITED STATES ANNOUNCED?
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Tuesday plans to set up a multinational coalition to safeguard Red Sea shipping called Operation Prosperity Guardian.
During a trip to the Middle East, he said the operations would be joined by Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
On Thursday, Austin said Greece and Australia had also joined the grouping, taking it to a total of 20, but added that at least eight countries taking part have declined to be publicly named.
WHAT ARE OTHER NATIONS SAYING? - FRANCE
France's Defence Ministry said it supported efforts to secure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding area and said it already operated in the region but it said its ships would stay under French command and did not say if it would deploy more naval forces.
France has a naval base in the United Arab Emirates and 1,500 troops in Djibouti. Its frigate Languedoc is now in the Red Sea.
- ITALY
Italy's Defence Ministry said it would send naval frigate Virginio Fasan to the Red Sea to protect its national interests in response to specific requests made by Italian shipowners.
It said this was part of its existing operations and was not part of Operation Prosperity Guardian.
- SPAIN
Spain's Defence Ministry said it would only participate in NATO-led missions or EU-coordinated operations. "We will not participate unilaterally in the Red Sea operation," it said.
- BRITAIN
Britain said destroyer HMS Diamond would join Operation Prosperity Guardian. Britain's defense ministry said the coalition would operate as part of the U.S.-led CMF.
- GREECE
Greece said on Thursday it would send a naval frigate to the Red Sea and that it would participate in Operation Prosperity Guardian.
- OTHER COUNTRIES
The Netherlands said it would send two staff officers and Norway said it would send 10 naval officers to Bahrain, the headquarters of CMF. Denmark said on Wednesday that it would take part in the operation, sending one officer.
WHAT EXISTING NAVAL COALITIONS OPERATE IN THE AREA?
Several navies are already part of international operations to protect shipping lanes in the region, including protecting vessels from pirates who for several years disrupted shipping off the coast of Somalia.
The missions include:
- Operation Atalanta, set up by European Union Naval Force Somalia (EUNAVFOR), operates off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean to support U.N. resolutions to protect the seas from piracy. Its headquarters is in Spain.
- Operation Agenor is a European-led operation which aims to guarantee freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping lane for oil exports from Gulf states.
- Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) is a multinational maritime partnership led by the U.S. from Bahrain, the based for the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet. CMF has 39 members, including NATO and European states, regional countries and other nations. One of its missions is the Combined Task Force 153 (CTF 153), which operates in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, Al Manar
reports:
Israeli-linked Merchant Vessel Hit by Drone Strike off India's Coast
An Israeli-affiliated merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea off India's west coast was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle, causing a fire, British maritime security firm Ambrey said on Saturday.
The fire on the Liberian-flagged chemical products tanker was extinguished without crew casualties in the incident 200 km (120 miles) southwest of Veraval, India, it said.
"Some structural damage was also reported and some water was taken onboard. The vessel was Israel-affiliated. She had last called Saudi Arabia and was destined for India at the time," the firm said on its website.
It said the Indian navy was responding. The navy did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.
The incident follows drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea by Iran revolutionary forces in support of the Palestinian people and resistance who have been subjected to brutal Israeli aggression since October 7th.
In
US 'builds trap for itself' in Red Sea, Scott Ritter writes:
[...]
the Houthis have made it clear that if attacked, they will expand the conflict to include Saudi and UAE oil production, threatening global energy supplies
[...]
The United States has long maintained that it could guarantee that if Iran ever sought to close the strategic Straight of Hormuz, the US Navy would be able to reopen it in a very short period. Operation Prosperity Guardian puts a lie to that claim. The fact is, the world balance of power has changed dramatically, and legacy systems like the carrier battlegroup are no longer the dominant means of power projection they once were. The US has, in effect, put all its eggs in one basket through its over-reliance upon the carrier battlegroup when it comes to force projection.
The US is 'hamstrung', for now. Besides the political optics of its vassal states pulling out of 'Operation Guardians of Prosperity', the Pentagon has probably gamed this out and realized the Houthis would survive a 'blitzkrieg', and likely sink a US warship or two in the process. Also, Iran may not be bluffing when it claims that its allies in Western Sahara could take aim at Israeli and Israel-destined cargo ships entering the Med at the Strait of Gibraltar. This could easily grind up global shipping and indirectly affect the US economy, which is teetering as things stand.
The elephant in the room, however, is Israel. Is its leadership capable enough, and mad enough to say 'to hell with the global balance of power', then force Uncle Sam's hand somehow?...
Comment: gCaptain reports: Meanwhile, Al Manar reports: In US 'builds trap for itself' in Red Sea, Scott Ritter writes: The US is 'hamstrung', for now. Besides the political optics of its vassal states pulling out of 'Operation Guardians of Prosperity', the Pentagon has probably gamed this out and realized the Houthis would survive a 'blitzkrieg', and likely sink a US warship or two in the process. Also, Iran may not be bluffing when it claims that its allies in Western Sahara could take aim at Israeli and Israel-destined cargo ships entering the Med at the Strait of Gibraltar. This could easily grind up global shipping and indirectly affect the US economy, which is teetering as things stand.
The elephant in the room, however, is Israel. Is its leadership capable enough, and mad enough to say 'to hell with the global balance of power', then force Uncle Sam's hand somehow?...