United Arab Emirates Pledges 'Thorough' Response to Attacks, Destroys Houthi Launcher That Fired Missiles
Good day from REEDNEWSARABWORLD for Tuesday, January 25, 2022! The United Arab Emirates pledged a "thorough and comprehensive response" to missile attacks by Yemen's Houthi forces, and the UAE started by destroying the same Houthi ballistic missile launcher that fired the missiles.
The Houthis threatened to expand their operations against both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, and a spokesman warned of "escalation with escalation."
Fighting continued in a Syrian prison that was invaded by Islamic State forces to free their imprisoned cohorts. Concerns are expressed about 600 prisoners under 18 who are held in a separate rehabilitation unit.
Iran rejects any precondition on nuclear agreement including release of U.S. prisoners, but said it might agree to direct talks with the U.S. at the right time. A senior U.S. negotiator in Vienna quit because the U.S. team wasn't being tough enough on Iran. Lebanon's longtime political leader Saad al-Hariri won't run for parliament and says he's quitting politics. The top aide to Tunisia's president quits, and a visit to Saudi Arabia by Thailand's prime minister revives the tale of the mysterious and deadly "Blue Diamond Affair."
News from Iraq, Kuwait, Lebanon, Syria, Turkiye, the Blue Diamond, and More.
The United Arab Emirates not only successfully defended against Houthi missiles that again targeted Abu Dhabi, but then sent F-16 fighter jets 870 miles to northern Yemen to destroy the missile launcher that launched the attack. The UAE said the F-16s flew to Yemen's Al-Jawf province and dropped bombs on the site "immediately after it launched two ballistic missiles at Abu Dhabi." A video showed the explosion, followed by a large fire that sent up plumes of thick smoke.
AFP, Watch video: UAE fighter destroys Houthi missile launcher in Al-Jawf, intercepts ballistic missiles.
The Drive, UAE F-16s strike ballistic missile launcher in Yemen in retaliation to another barrage on Abu Dhabi.
Yemen's Houthis said they're ready to "expand the operation to the next phase" after the second missile attack on Abu Dhabi. A spokesman said they targeted Abu Dhabi and its Al Dhafra air base and "achieved its objectives with high accuracy." (United Arab Emirates and U.S. air defenses shot down the two Houthi missiles and there were no injuries or damage.) The spokesman said the Houthi forces were ready to "confront escalation with escalation."
AFP, Yemen rebels threaten to 'expand operation' after UAE attack.
Hindustan Times, Yemen's Houthi rebels threaten to expand operations against UAE, Saudi Arabia.
Two missile attacks on the United Arab Emirates in a week have left residents feeling on edge about their security, for the first time. The UAE is considered a safe business haven with none of the violence of other Arab countries, but it was shaken first by a January 17 missile attack on Abu Dhabi that killed three people, the first confirmed attack on its soil. Then this week, residents were awakened by the sounds of loud blasts over the coastal capital in the early hours as the UAE intercepted another strike.
Reuters, Houthi attacks rattle some United Arab Emirates residents.
A Houthi rocket struck Jazan in Saudi Arabia and injured two people while another missile was shot down over the border town Dhahran Al Janub The attacks came as Yemen's rebel Houthis had fired missiles at the United Arab Emirates. In Jazan, the rocket struck an industrial area, injuring a resident from Bangladesh and another from Sudan, also damaging workshops and civilian vehicles. In Dhahran Al Janub, debris from the missile caused damage on the ground. Meanwhile, the Saudi-led coalition said it destroyed a ballistic missile launcher in Al Jawf in northeast Yemen and also intercepted and destroyed zones launched from Al Jawf province.
The National, Houthi missile injures two in latest attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The Giants Brigades have taken full control of Huraib, a district in Yemen's Marib province they entered two weeks ago, advancing despite Houthi warnings of retaliation against the United Arab Emirates. The Yemen government forces, backed by the UAE, then moved on Juba and Al Abdiyah districts, further defying their Houthi opponents. The two missile attacks on Abu Dhabi were intended to force the UAE to stop the progress in Marib.
Reuters, UAE-backed forces press on in Yemen's Marib despite Houthi warnings.
The prison fight in Syria is spreading and has become the biggest confrontation between the American military and ISIS in three years. The Islamic State still holds about one-quarter of the prison in Hasaka, and the fighting has spread to nearby neighborhoods. The U.S. allies, the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said they had killed five ISIS fighters in neighborhoods, and that they were wearing suicide belts. The SDF said it had freed nine prison staff that had been held by ISIS and that it had killed another nine militants, including two suicide bombers, in raids around the prison.
New York Times, Syria Live Updates: Fighting between ISIS and U.S.-backed forces spreads.
Xinhua, U.S. forces continue shelling in NE Syria: state media.
U.S. forces are involved in strafing runs and firing on Islamic State forces in the prison fight in Syria. As the U.S.-backed Kurdish units said they had cleared most of the prison in Hasakah of IS invaders, the fighting continued, and there were concerns about more than 600 detainees under the age of 18. The children were in a special rehabilitation section inside the detention center and included Syrians, Iraqis, and "about 150 non-Arab foreigners."
AFP, Extremist fighters holed up with minors in Syria prison.
Task and Purpose, US launches strikes on Syrian prison captured by ISIS.
Iran hasn't decided, but says it would consider direct nuclear talks with the United States. So far all communications between the two countries in Vienna have been through third parties, with no direct contact. Negotiators from Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia shuttle between the two sides. Iran's foreign minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said "Reports saying Iran and the U.S. are directly negotiating with one another are untrue. However, if we get to a stage where reaching a good deal with strong guarantees necessitates direct talks with the U.S., we will consider it."
Asharq Al-Awsat, No decision yet on direct talks with US, says Iran PM.
Alarabiya, Iran could hold direct talks with US to reach 'good' nuclear deal: FM.
Iran ruled out any preconditions for a nuclear deal that would include release of American prisoners. U.S. envoy Robert Malley earlier had said an agreement was unlikely without a prisoner release. "Iran has never accepted any preconditions," a spokesman said.
Reuters, Iran rules out U.S. prisoner release as nuclear talks precondition.
A U.S. senior negotiator at the Iran nuclear talks in Vienna, Richard Nephew, quit after differing with the U.S. team and advocating a tougher posture against Iran. Nephew was U.S. deputy special envoy for Iran but is no longer on the negotiating team, the U.S. State Department confirmed. Nephew remains a State Department employee. His departure comes at a critical time when it's believed only a few weeks are left to salvage the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran.
Reuters, U.S. deputy special envoy for Iran leaves post amid Iran nuclear talks.
Thailand's prime minister will visit Saudi Arabia more than three decades after the massive "Blue Diamond" jewel theft that involved the deaths of four Saudi diplomats. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman invited Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, and the official visit starts Tuesday. The visit is the first by a Thai leader since 1989's "Blue Diamond Affair," which began with a $20 million jewel theft by a Thai worker from the Riyadh palace and then would involve fake returned jewels, the killings of Saudi diplomats, the death of a Saudi businessman in Thailand, and a breakdown in relations.
Thailand's police and ruling elite were suspected of having kept the loot, which included a blue diamond, a 50-carat gemstone that was never recovered. No one was ever convicted. .Saudi Arabia downgraded diplomatic relations with Thailand and stopped taking in Thai workers.
Associated Press, Thai PM to visit Saudi Arabia amid push to repair relations.
Saad al-Hariri has announced his withdrawal from politics in Lebanon. The three-time former prime minister said he would not run for parliament in coming elections and that he would no longer take part in Lebanese politics. Hariri's decision came against a backdrop of tension with Saudi Arabia, which has been critical of Hariri's willingness to work with Lebanon's Hezbollah. Hariri is currently based in the United Arab Emirates, and there were reports he had been told he could remain in the UAE only if he left Lebanese politics.
Carnegie Middle East Center, Saad al-Hariri has announced his withdrawal from politics.
Lebanon's government met on the budget for the first time in three months, and talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) resumed. The cabinet meeting at the presidential palace was held after Hezbollah and its main ally ended their boycott. The draft budget for 2022 is expected to include increased taxes and fees in a country struggling to deal with soaring poverty.
Associated Press, Lebanon's government holds first budget meeting in months.
Lebanon will respond to Kuwait's confidence-building proposals by the weekend. Following the visit by Kuwait's foreign minister who presented a 12-point proposal to end a diplomatic rift with Gulf states, Lebanon's foreign minister, Abdallah Bou Habib, said the Lebanese response will be ready before Saturday. Kuwait's list included a recommitment to the 1989 Taif agreement that ended Lebanon's civil war, and tightening border controls to prevent drug smuggling to the Gulf countries.
Reuters, Lebanon to respond to confidence-building measures proposed by Kuwait before Saturday.
Kuwait has referred two senior army officers to the public prosecutor over suspected corruption in buying Eurofighter Typhoon jets. The officers were reported to have "caused serious damage to public money by paying inflation bills to the manufacturer that exceeded the total value agreed upon," Kuwait's anti-corruption authority said.
Kuwait received its first two Eurofighter Typhoons last month as part of an order for a total of 28 to be delivered to the Kuwait Air Force.
Reuters, Kuwait refers two army officers to prosecution over suspected corruption in Eurofighter deal.
Associated Press, Kuwait pursues corruption charges in Eurofighter plane deal.
Russia and Syria are flying military jets to patrol Syria's borders and plan to make regular flights. The planes include fighters, fighter-bombers, and early warning and control aircraft and will patrol the Golan heights and an armistice line with Israel where there have been Israeli airstrikes. Russian forces have been in Syria since 2015.
Asharq Al-Awsat, Syria, Russia start joint air force patrols over Syrian territory.
Three more people were killed in Sudan as thousands continued to march against the three-month-old military coup. The latest fatalities brought the death toll among protesters to at least 76 since the military takeover in October. Protesters marched this week in the capital of Khartoum, its sister city of Omdurman, and in the provinces of Kassala, Red Sea, Jazira, and the restive Darfur region. Security forces in Khartoum fired live ammunition in a number of locations, including around the fortified presidential palace.
Associated Press, Mass anti-coup protests continue in Sudan; 3 killed.
.The chief of staff to Tunisia's President Kais Saied resigned, saying she had "fundamental differences in opinion" with him. Nadia Akacha, Saied's closest adviser, said: "I decided to resign after two years... I am faced with fundamental differences in opinion regarding (Tunisia's) best interests." Akacha was reported to have disagreed with an interior ministry decision that forced six senior security officials including a former intelligence chief to retire. Saied seized governing powers last year in what opponents described as a "coup against the constitution."
Reuters, Tunisia president's top aide quits over 'fundamental differences.'
Kuwait is projecting a $10 billion deficit for 2022-2023, a sharp drop from the current year as oil prices climb. The projection is down 74.2% from the current estimated shortfall. The new budget foresees revenues of $62.2 billion, up 72.2%.
Arab Times, Kuwait projects $10 bn deficit for 2022-2023.
Iraq's parliament speaker denied a report that a new military force loyal to him was formed. A source close to Speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi said he suspected the vague report was circulated by armed factions in Iraq that oppose his Sunni group. The report referred to "Desert Phantoms," supposedly from Iraq's western provinces, and caused a stir on social media.
Asharq Al-Awsat, Report about 'Desert Phantoms' military force stirs debate in Iraq.
Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first floating desalination plant. The plant, near al-Shuqaiq port on Saudi Arabia's west coast, is an integrated project designed to provide water, generate electricity, and provide southern cities with energy.
Asharq Al-Awsat, Saudi Arabia inaugurates floating desalination plant.
Oil prices could go over $100 a barrel as oil-producing OPEC countries see their capacities shrink. Those countries that still can pump more aren't doing so, and the oil market is seeing unexpected supply disruptions. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates hold most of the global spare capacity and have the potential to raise output, but they follow an OPEC agreement to raise monthly quotas slowly.
OilPrice, OPEC's shrinking capacity could send oil above $100.
MORE: UK Royal Navy seizes more than $20 million worth of drugs in Gulf of Oman, CNN... Turkey's name change to 'Turkiye' shows that the world is no longer trying to appease the British, Inews UK... Lebanon keen on maintaining 'best relations' with Gulf states - President Aoun, Euronews... Saudi Arabia calls on GCC to speed up establishment of customs union, common market, Arab News... Saudi Arabia to refinance $11.5 bln of debt in 2022, Arab News... Gulf economies to grow faster in 2022, oil price fall biggest threat, Reuters.
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