LONDON: Pirates have hijacked an Iraqi ship that was stranded outside the country’s waters and took it to an unknown location, the MP for the Basra governorate said on Sunday.
Kadhim Finjan Al-Hammami said he received “authenticated pleas from the private owner of Iraqi tugboat T-4, to free his ship from pirates. The attackers had taken it to an unknown location, and demanded in an audio recording that he pay a ransom of $80,000.
“The owner of the hijacked ship explained that his ship ran aground at the Iranian coast, about seven miles north of Bushehr Port. The crew of a ship called Sohan stole its fuel and plundered its contents and equipment,” National Iraqi News Agency (NINA) quoted Al-Hammami as saying.
He said the Iraqi authorities have sent an urgent call for help to Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Center (MEMAC) in Bahrain.
Pirates hijack Iraqi ship stranded off Iranian coast
https://arab.news/buej3
Pirates hijack Iraqi ship stranded off Iranian coast
- Iraqi authorities have sent an urgent call for help to Marine Emergency Mutual Aid Center in Bahrain
- The owner of the hijacked ship explained that his ship ran aground at the Iranian coast, about seven miles north of Bushehr Port
Spain highlights importance of Gaza reconstruction
- Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway
RAMALLAH: The Palestinian prime minister, Mohammed Mustafa, and the Spanish foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, on Friday discussed the latest developments in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
During their telephone conversation they emphasized the need to intensify international efforts to end the Israeli occupation and halt attacks and settler violence, and to secure the release of Palestinian funds held by Israeli authorities.
They affirmed the importance of ongoing efforts relating to plans for the reconstruction of Gaza, and Europe’s significant role in this process. Mustafa and Albares highlighted the need to unify Palestinian institutions in Gaza with those in the West Bank, with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state in line with international resolutions, including last year’s New York Declaration.
They also discussed coordination between their countries, and the strengthening of Spain’s political, diplomatic and financial support for Palestine, and Mustafa thanked Spain for its ongoing support.
Spain officially recognized Palestine as a state in May 2024, in a coordinated move alongside Ireland and Norway. Estephan Salameh, the Palestinian finance and planning minister, is set to visit Spain this month to discuss enhanced cooperation, particularly in the areas of development and reconstruction. Meanwhile, Israel continues operating in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Prisoners media office said on Friday that Israel carried out numerous raids across the territory, including the major cities of Ramallah and Hebron, according to The Associated Press.
Nearly 50 people were detained, following the arrest of at least 50 other Palestinians on Thursday, most of those in the Ramallah area.
As 2026 begins, the shaky 12-week-old ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has largely ended large-scale Israeli bombardment of Gaza.
But Palestinians are still being killed by Israeli fire, especially along the so-called Yellow Line that delineates areas under Israeli control, and the humanitarian crisis is compounded by frequent winter rains and colder temperatures.
On Friday, American actor and film producer Angelina Jolie visited the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip.
The only crossing between the territory and a country other than Israel, it remains closed despite Palestinian requests to reopen it to people and aid.
Jolie met with members of the Red Crescent on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing and then visited a hospital in the nearby city of Arish to speak with Palestinian patients on Friday, according to Egyptian officials.
Aid groups say not enough shelter materials are getting into Gaza during the truce.
