DUBAI: Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Wednesday claimed an attack on a merchant ship in the Red Sea, part of an ongoing campaign they say is an act of solidarity with Palestinians.
The Houthis, who are at war with a Saudi-led coalition after ousting the government from Sanaa in 2014, have launched scores of drone and missile attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November.
They have said they are harassing the vital trade route in support of Palestinians during the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.
In a statement on Wednesday, the rebels said they had carried out a “military operation targeting the Tutor ship in the Red Sea, using a naval drone, aerial drones and ballistic missiles.”
The ship was hit about 68 nautical miles (126 kilometers) southwest of the rebel-held port city of Hodeida, maritime security firm Ambrey had said earlier in the day.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which is run by Britain’s Royal Navy, said a vessel was “hit on the stern by a small craft” 66 nautical miles southwest of Hodeida.
In a statement, UKMTO said the ship was taking on water and not under the crew’s command.
It added that the vessel was “hit for a second time by an unknown airborne projectile” and that military authorities were assisting.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) later said the Tutor had been struck by a Houthi “unmanned surface vessel” that “caused severe flooding and damage to the engine room.”
CENTCOM — which along with British forces has been conducting strikes in rebel-held Yemen in retaliation for the Red Sea attacks — also said it had destroyed three anti-ship missile launchers and a Houthi drone over the past 24 hours.
Houthis claim attack on merchant ship in Red Sea off Yemen
https://arab.news/g2fzk
Houthis claim attack on merchant ship in Red Sea off Yemen
Lebanon’s south could become US-backed economic zone, according to local paper Nidaa Al-Watan
- Lebanese daily quotes sources as saying the US plan casts southern Lebanon as a key gateway for broader economic transformation
- White House fails to respond to Arab News’ request for comment
LONDON: Lebanese daily Nidaa Al-Watan has reported that the office of Jared Kushner, son-in-law and senior adviser to US President Donald Trump, has prepared detailed maps for a so‑called “Trump Economic Zone” in southern Lebanon.
According to columnist Tarek Abou Zeinab, the Kushner plan has been formally submitted to the White House for consideration.
Citing unnamed sources, the column said that the idea is no longer just a “whispered” concept among political circles but has entered what it described as “concrete border‑related discussions aimed at fast‑tracking the plan onto the US administration’s Middle East implementation agenda.”
Arab News asked the US Embassy in Beirut and the US State Department for comment, but was directed to the White House for any official response. The White House was subsequently contacted but has not responded.
Lebanon has been mired in prolonged political paralysis. Large parts of the south remain under Hezbollah’s influence, while Israel illegally occupies at least five outposts along the border that are within Lebanese sovereign land.
According to Nidaa Al‑Watan’s sources, the US concept frames southern Lebanon as a key gateway for a wider economic transformation, tying large‑scale investment and infrastructure projects to security arrangements on the ground.
The reported plan would seek to attract international capital, establish factories and logistics hubs, upgrade infrastructure, and build a port connected to global shipping routes.
Its aim, according to the column, would be to open new export channels through a free‑zone model and lure major energy companies by linking southern Lebanon to wider schemes such as the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor.
Supporters of the plan argue it could trigger large Arab and international investments, raise living standards and create long‑term jobs, thereby lowering the risk of renewed conflict.
However, Lebanese political and media sources quoted by the daily have warned that the proposal follows a new “hegemonic” approach and carries major political implications that cannot be ignored.
The critics say the reported US vision goes beyond development to include the establishment of Jewish settlements in parts of southern Lebanon, justified on religious and security grounds to protect northern Israel.
One source expressed concern that such moves would create a geographic and symbolic link between Israel and southern Lebanon, deepening fears over sovereignty and the region’s future political trajectory.
The paper said Kushner is focussed on areas stretching from Mount Hermon to Shebaa and Naqoura in the far south at a time when Israel has been pressing for a buffer zone along the border, citing security concerns since the end of major clashes with Hezbollah in November 2024.
The proposed zone would cover more than 27 southern towns, raising questions over Lebanese sovereignty.
In parallel, the Lebanese army has been tasked with bringing all weapons under state control and asserting government authority in areas long dominated by Hezbollah, as part of a broader disarmament and security plan.
Despite a ceasefire, Israel has continued to carry out attacks inside Lebanese territory and maintains control over parts of the south, saying the measures are necessary for security.
Lebanese and Israeli delegations held talks in Naqoura earlier in December to shore up the ceasefire and discuss reconstruction in the south.
