Yemen's Houthi rebels have seized the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea Yemen’s Houthi rebels have seized the strategic islands of Greater and Lesser Hanish in the southern Red Sea, bolstering the Iranian-backed rebels' ability to control a key maritime shipping route. Meanwhile, Iran says Saudi Arabia was behind Oman’s decision to postpone a meeting bringing together Iran with other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz. In Iraq, two people died and more than 100 others were injured after an ammonia gas leak at a fertilizer plant in the country’s south.
Here’s a look at the latest news in the Middle East. Full coverage can be found here. Houthi officials said Monday they had taken over the two islands just as Saudi-backed government forces tried to claw back territory from the rebels' swift advances around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial shipping alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and gas transits in peacetime — in the opening days of the war. The Saudis have since used Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads out of the Red Sea for crude oil exports. The Houthis’ newest takeover, following the seizure of the Red Sea port of Mokha and a strategic island last week, puts more pressure on Saudi shipments and, in turn, global oil supplies and prices.
This could give Iran additional leverage in its war with the United States. China, a major Middle East oil importer, on Monday called Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure “unacceptable” and said it was “deeply concerned” about further escalations by the rebels against Saudi Arabia. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said “attacks on civilian infrastructure that is important to people’s livelihoods are unacceptable.” He called on all sides to exercise restraint and resolve disputes through dialogue.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Monday Saudi Arabia had “demanded" that a meeting bringing together Iran with other regional countries to discuss the Strait of Hormuz be scrapped “for the time being.” Baghaei called the meeting, which was to be hosted by Oman, a “proper opportunity” to restore security in the region. The spokesman said an agreement between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz has been finalized and it will be announced later. Saudi Arabia had submitted amendments to the agreement, citing concerns it could have lasting implications for the Strait of Hormuz, negatively impacting other Gulf Cooperation Council countries, according to a Gulf official familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Iran denounced on Monday Austria’s refusal to issue visas to the Iranian nuclear chief and other delegation members for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s General Conference in Vienna, calling the decision “completely unjustified.” Esmail Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, said Tehran summoned the Austrian chargé d’affaires, saying Austria was obligated as the host country to issue the visas. Baghaei accused Western countries of denying Iran an opportunity to defend itself and blamed the U.S. for pressuring Austria to deny the visas. The refusal is part of U.N. sanctions on Iran, reinstated last year, that include a travel ban on Iranian officials.
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