Seaborne aid reaches Gaza population – POLITICO

The food travelled 200 kilometers by sea from Larnaca to a makeshift jetty off Gaza, arriving Friday. A convoy of eight trucks from the World Food Programme brought the aid to its final destination. The Cyprus government said a second vessel, Jennifer, loaded with some 500 metric tons of aid is ready to leave Cyprus … Read more

Explosion damages key Russian railway bridge – POLITICO

Ukrainian intelligence confirmed the explosion and said the bridge was used to carry military equipment. “On March 4, 2024, at about 6:00 a.m., the bridge was damaged by blowing up its power structures,” the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine said in a statement, though it did not specifically claim … Read more

UK-owned Rubymar is first ship to sink from Houthi attack, pouring oil and fertilizer into Red Sea – POLITICO

Oil and fertilizer have poured into the Red Sea from a sinking cargo ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, putting the local environment and a critical waterway for cargo shipments to Europe at risk. U.S. officials confirmed early Sunday that U.K.-owned MV Rubymar carrying 21,000 metric tons of fertilizer had sunk two weeks after it … Read more

New Houthi attack risks ‘environmental disaster,’ US says – POLITICO

While the crew of 24 has been safely evacuated, the cargo of fertilizer “could spill into the Red Sea and worsen this environmental disaster,” it said. The attack has heightened concerns for the Red Sea’s unique coral reefs, which scientists have found to be so far resilient to climate change but at risk from other threats. … Read more

Houthis damage British cargo ship in new attack – POLITICO

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency said an explosion “in close proximity of the vessel” damaged it. The crew abandoned ship and is safe, the agency added. The Belize-flagged, Lebanese-operated cargo ship was traveling through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on its way to Bulgaria after leaving the United Arab Emirates, according to private security firm … Read more

Houthi rebels fire missile at US warship, escalating Mideast crisis – POLITICO

Though unsuccessful, the attack marks an intensification in the battle between the Houthis, which control large parts of Yemen, and a U.S.-led naval operation aimed at protecting commercial shipping in one of the most important global trade routes. In recent weeks, Western navies have repeatedly responded to Houthi attacks against cargo ships traveling along the … Read more

Middle East braces for chaos as Iran and West square up – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Western warplanes and guided missiles roared through the skies over Yemen in the early hours of Friday in a dramatic response to the worsening crisis engulfing the region, where the U.S. and its allies are facing a direct confrontation with Iranian-backed militants. The strikes … Read more

Hezbollah fires rockets at Israel in response to killing of Hamas leader – POLITICO

Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets at Israel on Saturday in retaliation for the targeted killing of a Hamas leader in Beirut this week amid mounting fears of a larger regional war, according to media reports. Hezbollah said in a statement Saturday that it targeted an Israeli air surveillance base in northern Israel with … Read more

Iranian warship enters Red Sea as tensions rise – POLITICO

Press play to listen to this article Voiced by artificial intelligence. Iran dispatched a naval frigate to the Red Sea amid an escalating standoff between Western nations and Tehran-backed militants that has seen maritime traffic attacked by drones, missiles and speedboats. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported Monday that the warship Alborz crossed the Bab el-Mandeb … Read more