ISLAMABAD: Ahead of a visit by the foreign minister of Iran to Islamabad, the US State Department said on Thursday it would ‘welcome’ any country pressing Tehran to curb its “malign and destabilizing activities,” especially attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis.
On Monday, US and British forces carried out a round of strikes in Yemen, targeting a Houthi underground storage site as well as missile and surveillance capabilities used by the Iran-aligned group against Red Sea shipping. The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation. They have also deepened concern that the fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East.
Last week these concerns deepened when Pakistan and Iran traded airstrikes on alleged militant camps inside each other’s territory in tit-for-tat attacks which were the highest-profile cross-border intrusions in recent years. However, both nations moved to quickly de-escalate and announced in a joint statement that ambassadors of both countries had been asked to return to their posts by Jan. 26 while the Iranian foreign minister would visit Pakistan on Jan. 29.
At a press briefing on Thursday, State Department Principal Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel responded to questions about Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s upcoming visit to Pakistan and what message Washington wanted Islamabad to give him.
“Should any country around the world be interested in continuing to call on Iran to cease its malign and destabilizing activities, its activities that particularly in the Red Sea are making international waterways and legitimate commerce unsafe, we’d welcome any country continuing to press Iran to curb its support for those kinds of actions,” Patel said.
The United States has asked China to urge Tehran to rein in Houthis attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea but has seen little sign of help from Beijing, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
However, on Friday, Reuters reported that Chinese officials had asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in the attacks or risk harming business relations with Beijing.
The attacks, which the Houthis say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, have raised the cost of shipping and insurance by disrupting a key trade route between Asia and Europe used widely by ships from China.
Press Tehran to cease ‘malign’ activities, US says ahead of Iranian FM’s visit to Pakistan
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Press Tehran to cease ‘malign’ activities, US says ahead of Iranian FM’s visit to Pakistan
- Iranian foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian will visit Islamabad on Jan. 29 after a standoff earlier this month
- US says Iran’s activities in the Red Sea are making international waterways and legitimate commerce unsafe
India captain says will travel for Pakistan clash despite boycott
- Pakistan have announced they will boycott their match against India on Feb. 15 in Sri Lanka
- India need to be at the stadium on Feb. 15 to ensure they are awarded two points for match
MUMBAI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav said Thursday that his team would show up in Colombo for their T20 World Cup clash against Pakistan, despite their Group A opponents and arch-rivals boycotting the match.
“We haven’t said no to playing them (Pakistan),” Yadav told reporters at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, where India will begin their campaign against the United States on Saturday’s opening day.
“They are the ones who have said no. Our flights are booked and we are going to Colombo.”
India need to be at the stadium and ready to take the field for the February 15 match in order to make sure of being awarded the two points for a match forfeit.
The tournament, co-hosted by Sri Lanka and India, has been overshadowed by weeks of political posturing in the build-up.
Bangladesh were kicked out for refusing to play in India and Pakistan’s government then told its team not to show up at the clash of the arch-rivals as a show of support for Bangladesh.
Pakistan and India have not played bilateral cricket for more than a decade, and meet only in global or regional tournaments events.
India start the T20 World Cup on home soil with a great chance of retaining the title they won two years ago and Yadav agreed they were the side to beat.
“The way we have been playing, it looks like we are the favorites,” he smiled.
If that seemed like an overconfident statement, the India captain was quick to caution: “There are 19 (other) good teams in the tournament, though.
“On a given day, when you play, you have to bring your A-game and play good cricket.”
India know that their opening opponents, the United States, caused the biggest upset of the 2024 tournament when they beat Pakistan in a super over.
Yadav said no team would be taken lightly.
“I’m sure every game will be very important,” he said.
