All three events coincided with a huge memorial in Tehran for Qassem Solimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone attack in 2020 in Iraq. Ebrahim Raisi, Iran’s hardline president demanded that former President Donald Trump be “prosecuted” and “killed.”
Raisi referred to the global community of Muslims by saying, “If not, then I’m telling all American leadership, don’t worry that the hand of vengeance will come out from the sleeves of ummah.”
Monday’s events highlighted tensions in the Middle East. These have been roiled since Trump’s 2018 unilateral withdrawal from an agreement aimed at limiting Tehran’s nuclear program. While talks are continuing in Vienna to revive the agreement, Iran is still able to exert pressure from outside the negotiations, even though it is being squeezed by sanctions as well as a shadow war against Israel.
The latest attack in the Red Sea is the taking of the Emirati ship Rwabee, which is a vital route for international trade and energy shipment. Hodeida was seized by the Iranian-backed Houthis, which is a prize long-contested in the war in Yemen between rebels and a Saudi coalition that includes the United Arab Emirates.
The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations first reported the Rwabee’s seizure. They only stated that an attack had occurred on an unnamed vessel at midnight. According to MarineTraffic.com, the coordinates offered by the Rwabee corresponded with the vessel. This vessel has not provided its location via tracking data in recent years, unlike other commercial traffic in the area.
The Saudi-led coalition issued a statement that acknowledged the attack hours later. It was carried by the state media in the Kingdom. It stated that the Houthis had committed an act “armed piratery” with the vessel. Without providing evidence, the coalition claimed that the ship was carrying medical equipment from a dismantled Saudi hospital on the distant island Socotra.
Brig. In a statement, Gen. Turki al Malki stated.
Later, footage from Rwabee was shown by the Houthis on Al-Masirah’s satellite news channel. It featured military-style inflatable boats, trucks, and other vehicles on the vessel. A landing craft lowers a ramp that allows equipment to roll on and of. One clip briefly showed what looked like a collection rifles in a container.
“It is now completely evident that the information that this ship carried a civilian field station is incorrect,” Yahia Sarei, an official Houthi military spokesperson said. This is clearly military equipment.”
Saudi state television claimed that the Houthis had transferred weapons to the ship.
Abu Dhabi-based Liwa Marine Services employees told The Associated Press by telephone that the Rwabee seemed to be the target. However, they didn’t have any other information. The employee refused to comment further and hung-up before revealing their name.
Similar attacks were also made against the Emirati vessel SWIFT-1 in 2016. It was sailing between an Emirati troop station in Eritrea, Yemen, and the Red Sea. In 2016, Houthi forces attacked the vessel. In 2016, Houthi forces attacked the vessel.
Hackers took no responsibility for hacking the Jerusalem Post’s website. The hackers replaced the Post’s homepage with an image of a missile coming out of a fist bearing a ring that was long associated with Soleimani.
Also, the image depicted an explosion target that was used in a recent Iranian military drill. It was intended to look similar to the Shimon Peres Negev Nuclear Research Center close by Dimona. Underground laboratories have been operating for decades in the facility, which reprocesses spent rods from a nuclear reactor to produce weapons-grade plutonium.
Israel’s policy of nuclear ambiguity does not confirm nor deny the existence of atomic weapons.
The Post admitted to hackers in a tweet.
The English-language newspaper stated that they were aware of hacking attempts on their website and a threat to Israel.
Later, the newspaper restored its website. It was noted that Iran-supporting hackers had previously targeted its homepage back in 2020.
In December, Israel’s former military intelligence chief publicly admitted that his country was involved with Soleimani’s death. As the general was about to leave Baghdad’s international Airport, the U.S. drone shot him down.
According to American and Iraqi officials, two “suicide drones,” which were supposedly flying at the same airport in Iraq, were shot down by troops on Monday. Although no group claimed responsibility for the attack immediately, one of the drones’ wings was marked with the Arabic words “Soleimani’s revenge”. Similar attacks have been reported by militias supported Iran. There were no injuries or damages reported.
Soleimani was the leader of the elite Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guard. He also frequently moved between Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq as part of his expeditionary forces. Quds Force members deployed in Syria in support of President Bashar Assad during the country’s long-running war. They also traveled to Iraq after the 2003 U.S. invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. Iran has long been a foe of Quds Force.
Soleimani rose in prominence as a consultant to the embattled Assad in fighting the Islamic State group, both in Iraq and Syria.
Officials from the United States claim that Soleimani’s Guard taught Iraqi militants how they could use roadside bombs to attack U.S. troops. Iran denies that.
