World News
Report: Iran Claims U.S. Strike; Houthis Consider Red Sea Transit Fees
Iranian officials reported an alleged U.S. strike in the country’s northwest, a claim the United States denied. Meanwhile, the Houthi terror group, which has imposed a naval blockade on ships west of Saudi Arabia, says it is considering charging transit fees in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
U.S. military (archive photo: Yonatan Sindel, Flash90)Arab media reported Wednesday afternoon that Iran’s military claims the United States carried out a strike on a site near the city of Biraneshahr, in West Azerbaijan Province in northern Iran. The U.S. military denied the report, saying there had been no strike in Iran.
Meanwhile, Al Jazeera reported an Iranian drone strike on the offices of the opposition Iranian Kurdish Democratic Party in northeastern Erbil, Iraq.
Reuters also reported that the Houthis in Yemen are considering imposing fees on commercial vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea. As a reminder, the Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia last week. They also attacked two ships that departed from Saudi Arabia and approached the strait.
According to the report, the Houthi measure is expected to apply to most vessels passing through the strait, though no date has yet been set for its implementation. At the same time, it was reported that Iran rejected Oman’s proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that there was “no chance of success.”
