Egypt backs Yemen peace efforts

Shaya Mohsin Zindani and Sameh Shoukry meet in Cairo. (X/@MfaEgypt)
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Updated 26 June 2024
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Egypt backs Yemen peace efforts

  • Sameh Shoukry emphasized his country’s support for Yemen when he met with his Yemeni counterpart, Shaya Mohsin Zindani, in Cairo
  • FM highlighted Egypt’s endorsement of efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis and end its humanitarian suffering

CAIRO: Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry emphasized his country’s support for Yemen when he met with his Yemeni counterpart, Shaya Mohsin Zindani, on Wednesday.

He also highlighted Egypt’s endorsement of efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution to the Yemeni crisis and end its humanitarian suffering.

Shoukry stressed Egyptian support for Yemen’s unity, institutions, independence and territorial integrity, underlining the critical importance of the country’s security and stability for the Red Sea region.

He said Egypt was keen to enhance cooperation with the Yemeni government in its efforts to develop infrastructure and rehabilitate human resources. He also discussed Egyptian efforts to provide support to the Yemeni people, particularly in supplying medical and food aid.

This is in addition to Egypt’s hosting of a large number of Yemeni citizens and providing them with necessary services.

Both sides expressed concerns over ongoing tensions in the Red Sea and their implications for navigation and trade security in the Suez Canal. They also reviewed the latest developments in the region covering Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Libya.

The two ministers also addressed the prolonged Israel-Hamas war and the unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Shoukry reiterated Egypt’s stance against Israel’s military control over the Rafah crossing from the Palestinian side, which has halted the flow of humanitarian aid. He said the aggression against Palestinians in Gaza was connected to the situations in the West Bank and Jerusalem, accusing the Israeli government of perpetuating a hostile environment for Palestinians.

He warned of the repercussions of ongoing escalation, which threatens to widen the conflict and severely impact regional security and stability.

The Yemeni minister expressed his country’s deep appreciation for Egypt’s supportive stance.


US shoots down Iranian drone approaching aircraft carrier

Updated 41 min 8 sec ago
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US shoots down Iranian drone approaching aircraft carrier

  • Iranian Shahed-139 drone shot down by F-35 jet
  • Iranian boats harass US-flagged tanker in Strait of Hormuz, US military says

The US military on Tuesday shot down an Iranian drone that “aggressively” approached the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, the US military said, in an incident first reported by Reuters.

The incident came as diplomats sought to arrange nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, and US President Donald Trump warned that with US warships heading toward Iran, “bad things” would probably happen if a deal could not be reached.
Oil futures prices rose more than $1 per ‌barrel after news ‌the drone was shot down.
The Iranian Shahed-139 drone ‌was ⁠flying toward ‌the carrier “with unclear intent” and was shot down by an F-35 US fighter jet, the US military said.
“An F-35C fighter jet from Abraham Lincoln shot down the Iranian drone in self-defense and to protect the aircraft carrier and personnel on board,” said Navy Captain Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson at the US military’s Central Command.
Iran’s UN mission declined to comment.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency said connection had been ⁠lost with a drone in international waters, but the reason was unknown.
No American service members were ‌harmed during the incident and no US equipment was ‍damaged, he added.
The Lincoln carrier strike ‍group is the most visible part of a US military buildup in ‍the Middle East following a violent crackdown against anti-government demonstrations last month, the deadliest domestic unrest in Iran since its 1979 revolution.
Trump, who stopped short of carrying out threats to intervene during the crackdown, has since demanded Tehran make nuclear concessions and sent a flotilla to its coast. He said last week Iran was “seriously talking,” while Tehran’s top security official, Ali Larijani, said arrangements for negotiations ⁠were under way.
Iranian boats harass US-flagged tanker
In a separate incident on Tuesday in the Strait of Hormuz, just hours after the drone shootdown, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces harassed a US-flagged, US-crewed merchant vessel, according to the US military.
“Two IRGC boats and an Iranian MoHajjer drone approached M/V Stena Imperative at high speeds and threatened to board and seize the tanker,” Hawkins said.
Maritime risk management group Vanguard said the Iranian boats ordered the tanker to stop its engine and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and continued its voyage.
Hawkins said a US Navy warship, the McFaul, was operating in the area ‌and escorted the Stena Imperative.
“The situation de-escalated as a result, and the US-flagged tanker is proceeding safely,” Hawkins added.