Okay, every topic that has even remotely to do with the middle east keeps getting more general news put into it which removes focus from the original topic.
As such, I'm creating this thread as a general middle east and north africa topic. That means anything to do with the Arab Spring or Israel and Palestine should be kept to those threads and anything to do with more generic news (for example, new Saudi regulations on the number of foreign workers or the Lebanese elections next year, etc.) should be posted here.
I hope the mods will find this a clear enough statement of intent to open the thread.
In the name of being honest
The Economist: The Middle East faces economic chaos.
Some vignettes of the economic impact that the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea (and, uh, its ostensible cause) inflicted on the region:
- Shipping volume through the Red Sea has dropped to 30% of its normal levels.
- Egypt's toll revenue from the Suez Canal since the beginning of the year has dropped by 40% compared to the same time last year, threatening its national budget.
- Aid shipments to Sudan have stopped completely; Eritrea's export economy also severely impacted.
- Jordan, whose economy consists 15% of tourism, saw international arrivals fell by 54% due to the situation next door.
- 360,000 are out of work or going unpaid in the place west of Jordan.
Nikkei Asia: Red Sea conflict plunges Bangladesh garment makers into the red. More than 65% of the country's textile exports are normally bound for Europe and the Americas via the Suez Canal. The closure of the route adds significant transport costs as well as an extra couple of weeks to the transport time, made worse by the fact that a significant amount of Bangladesh's yarn is imported from Egypt in the first place.
Edited by eagleoftheninth on Jan 25th 2024 at 2:23:54 AM
Echoing hymn of my fellow passerine | Art blog (under construction)
The law in the night
Iranian Proxies Scatter Ahead Of Looming U.S. Retaliation Strikes
As the Pentagon weights and plans the answers to the drone strike on Jordan that killed 3 service members and wounded several more, the Iranian proxies in the Middle East scatter over the expectation retaliation strikes.
Edited by AngelusNox on Feb 2nd 2024 at 3:28:58 PM
Inter arma enim silent leges
The law in the night
X-Posted from the Military thread.
Over 85 Targets Hit In U.S. Retaliation Strikes Against Iranian Proxies, IRGC (Updated)
The U.S. has launched strikes in retaliation for the drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers and injured dozens more in Jordan.
85 Targets, 125 PG Ms and a lot of targets hit, from command, communication and control centers, supply depots for missiles and drones and launch sites.
The Jordanians are also helping with the operation as well.
Inter arma enim silent leges
The Houthis may now change their Facebook status from "Fucking Around" to "Finding Out."
This is not about the Houtis, the strikes were in Syria and Iraq.
Jordanian Air Force says that its bogus news that they participated in air strikes against IRGC and pro-Tehran militias.
The Jordan Times carried the news.
Syrian men receiving Russian passports. Likely prior to heading to Ukraine.
As of 2-19, the EU has its own military op to take out Houthi drones/missiles known as Operation Aspides. It's defensive in nature according to them.
Edited by Ominae on Feb 29th 2024 at 9:20:38 AM
The Rubymar was sunk in the Red Sea after the Houthis attacked it. It was carrying fertilizer.
Houthis are not going to touch Chinese/Russian ships, despite the latter wanting the Houthis to stop using missiles in the Red Sea.
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Heard about that. That's just going to further give grief to those within Houthi-dominated territories who are starving to death because the ones who control the territories they live in are kissing up to Russia and the PRC.
https://news.usni.org/2024/03/24/chinese-tanker-hit-with-houthi-missile-in-the-red-sea
Well I dunno what to make out of this news when the Houthis ambushed a Chinese tanker, but flies the flag of Panama.
"We're sorry, our missile guy didn't check the ship's ownership, just the flag."
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
Mind you, who any given ship belongs to can be a puzzle to figure out. Between who had it built, where it was built, who the captain is, where it's registered, who the actual owner is, where's it's allowed to go, what nationality the crew is (usually multiple), which flag it's flying and probably even more factors, you might be looking at half a dozen or more countries with a hand in it.
Edited by Resileafs on Mar 25th 2024 at 1:58:19 PM
Where are they getting their targeting data from?
I'm guessing either some dudes on a boat with binoculars, or various intelligence agencies looking to subvert their rivals through a third party.
Edited by Kayeka on Mar 25th 2024 at 11:59:13 AM
Houthis claim that they got their information online, but I suspect the Iranian Intelligence Ministry has a role in this.
In the name of being honest
Bloomberg: US May Revoke Houthi Terrorist Label If They Stop Red Sea Ship Attacks.
Well, with how often they have gone to “terrorists” and back, Houthis probably know better than anyone if it is worth it.
Brenner's Wolves Fight Again
Good ol' USA. Any enemy that doesn't fold immediately is too tough for them.
Where there's life, there's hope.
https://www.military.africa/2024/01/uae-deploys-troops-to-train-chadian-soldiers-amid-sudan-crisis/
This one's dated for early '24. The UAE's conducting military assistance to Chad, including sending trainers.
https://twstalker.com/ColbyBadhwar/status/1779960638942425551
Iraq's getting FMS in the form of C-172 and AC/RC-208 Aircraft Contractor Logistics Support & Training from Northrop Grumman.
Red Sea Ship Attacks Continue After Super Hornets Strike Missiles
USN carries on hitting Houthi positions with more preemptive strikes against ballistic A Sh M sites on Yemem.
Houthi strikes continue against ships, one against an US owned, Greek operated ship. No hits to the ship reported, no damage and no crew wounded.
The are reports that a MQ-9 Reaper was shot down near Baghdad. The second one shot down in the region.
Inter arma enim silent leges