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An oil tanker under US sanctions hijacked off the coast of Yemen
An oil tanker targeted by American sanctions was hijacked Thursday off the coast of Yemen by six armed men. The Seamull, also called Sibu 1, was targeted around 250 kilometers from Al-Mukalla, in the south of the country, before heading towards Somalia, according to the British agency UKMTO and the Indian Ocean Maritime Security Center linked to the European operation Atalanta.
The ship is among the Iranian “ghost fleet” vessels accused by Washington of transporting Iranian oil using opaque shipping practices. Sanctioned in December by the United States, the tanker belongs to a company based in the United Arab Emirates and would have notably transported Iranian naphtha and diesel to ports in Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
US approves sale of tanker planes to Qatar
The United States on Thursday approved the potential sale to Qatar of up to four KC-46A tanker aircraft for more than $4.5 billion, the State Department announced. Washington believes that this agreement will strengthen Doha's defense capabilities and its interoperability with American and allied forces.
Qatar, which hosts the main American air base in the Middle East, also plays a mediating role in discussions between Washington and Tehran as well as in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The emirate had also been targeted by Iran in retaliation for Israeli-American strikes.
Iran accuses the United States of “economic terrorism”
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Thursday accused the United States of pursuing a policy of “economic terrorism” after Donald Trump’s announcement of new sanctions and an “economic war” against Tehran. According to the official Irna agency, Iranian diplomacy affirms that these measures violate the fundamental rights of Iranians.
In a press release, the ministry estimated that the American officials behind these sanctions should be “tried and sanctioned”, denouncing acts described as “crimes against humanity”. Tehran has been denouncing for several years the impact of American economic restrictions on its economy and its population.
“We will bring down this regime”, promise the Americans
Questioned on the CNBC channel, the American Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, affirmed that his country would bring down the Iranian regime thanks to unprecedented economic sanctions. “This will be the largest coordinated operation of economic isolation in the world. This will work in Iran and we will bring down this regime.”
More sanctions, fewer strikes?
According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US sanctions against Iran make the resumption of fighting “less likely”. “If we apply maximum economic pressure, that means it's likely that there won't be a resumption of large-scale military operations, but I want to emphasize that that's for now,” he told CNBC.
The United States puts pressure on its allies
After Iran, it is the turn of the United States to put pressure on its allies. Washington warns that its allies who do not support its economic war against Iran will be “against us”.
Houthis claim strikes on Saudi airport and oil facility
Yemen's Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, announced that they had targeted this Thursday in Saudi Arabia, in the town of Najran, near the border with Yemen, an airport and an installation belonging to the national oil company Aramco.
The rebels “successfully carried out two military operations using drones: the first targeted a sensitive Saudi site at Najran airport, the second targeted the Aramco site in Najran,” said their military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, in a statement posted on Telegram.
This morning, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards warned Saudi Arabia, saying that the country would “certainly not be able to contain Yemen and Ansarullah [another name for the Houthis], nor to protect itself against their attacks”.
A new American aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East
The American army announces the arrival of a new aircraft carrier in the Middle East, replacing the Abraham Lincoln whose long deployment at sea for months had raised concerns about the living conditions of the crew.
The USS George Washington is "operating in the Middle East as part of its planned deployment after arriving in the Centcom area of operation yesterday," US Middle East Command said on X.
Iran executes foreign national for participation in January protests
A foreign national, whose nationality was not specified, was executed Thursday by Iranian justice for his participation in the vast anti-government demonstrations in January, according to the Mizan agency, an organ of the judiciary.
The government acknowledged more than 3,000 deaths during the January protests, attributing the violence to “terrorist acts” orchestrated by the United States and Israel. NGOs based abroad have spoken of a repression that has left thousands dead.
For Tehran, “US economic terrorism threatens the international economy”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized US President Donald Trump's economic pressure plan against Tehran on Thursday, calling it a continuation of “policies doomed to failure”.
“The so-called 'Economic D-Day' aims to distract from America's own crisis: unprecedented debt and rising borrowing costs. Continuing with policies doomed to failure will only lead to further defeat and hostility from the Iranians,” the minister said on X.
“US economic terrorism threatens the international economy and the sovereignty of countries around the world,” he added.
Trump threatens massive sanctions after Tehran's warnings against Gulf countries
Iran warned Gulf countries on Wednesday that any aid provided to US forces would be considered direct support for Washington's military operations against the Islamic Republic. In a statement relayed by the Mehr agency, the head of the Iranian armed forces, General Ali Abdollahi, warned that any form of assistance or facilitation granted to the American army would be considered participation in actions carried out against Iran.
For his part, Donald Trump has toughened his tone towards countries likely to come to the aid of Tehran. The American president threatened heavy economic sanctions against any state allowing its banks, businesses, airports or public institutions to provide support to Iran. In a message published on Truth Social, he promised “terrible economic repercussions” to countries that offered, in any form, a lifeline to the Islamic Republic.
The rag burns between Australia and Israel
Australia expressed its anger on Wednesday after Israel's decision to end the criminal investigation into the death of Zomi Frankcom, an Australian humanitarian killed in April 2024 in Gaza with six other members of World Central Kitchen during an airstrike. Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced the summons of the Israeli ambassador and denounced a decision considered particularly hurtful for the victim's family and humanitarian workers.
Israel had admitted that the strike had caused the deaths of the volunteers “inadvertently”, but the army ultimately decided not to open a criminal investigation. Canberra believes that this lack of prosecution does not meet expectations in terms of transparency and accountability, and calls for justice to be done for the victims.
Shakira and Christina Aguilera collateral victims of tensions in the Gulf
The conflict in the Middle East also has repercussions on cultural life and international artists. In Abu Dhabi, two festivals which were to welcome Shakira and Christina Aguilera were canceled, while the United Arab Emirates remain regularly targeted by Iranian fire. Despite a drop in the intensity of attacks, tensions continue to disrupt the organization of major events in the Gulf.
Hello, welcome to this new Live
Once again, the 20 Minutes editorial team is mobilizing to give you all the information on the Middle East. While the guns have fallen silent for the moment, the situation in the region is once again particularly tense between the United States and Iran but also between Israel and Turkey.
Iran warned Gulf countries on Wednesday that any aid to the American army would be considered participation in military operations against it, according to General Ali Abdollahi. In return, Trump threatened “terrible” economic sanctions against countries that support Iran.
On Thursday and after Trump's remarks, the American Secretary of the Treasury, Scott Bessent, affirmed that the United States wants to weaken the Iranian regime through a campaign of economic sanctions on an unprecedented scale. According to him, this maximum pressure could also reduce the risk of a resumption of large-scale fighting.
Yemen's Houthi rebels said Thursday they had carried out two drone attacks against targets located in Najran, Saudi Arabia, including a site linked to Aramco. The Iranian-backed movement claimed responsibility for these operations through its military spokesperson. For their part, Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned Riyadh that it could not protect itself from Houthi attacks.
