Exclusive: U.S. commander says he could send carrier into Strait of Hormuz despite Iran tensions

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The commander overseeing U.S. naval forces in the Middle East told Reuters on Thursday that American intelligence showing a threat from Iran will not prevent him from sending an aircraft carrier through the vital Strait of Hormuz, if needed.

Vice Admiral Jim Malloy, commander of the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, did not say whether he would send the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group into the strategic waterway off Iran, through which passes a fifth of oil consumed globally.

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Source: reuters.com

Houthis Stage Series of Attacks in Hodeidah ahead of UN Team Visit

Saeed al-Abyad

The Iran-backed Houthi militias have been trying to lure army forces deployed to the outskirts of the coastal city of Hodeidah into armed confrontation.

Analysts said the militias are plotting to break the UN-brokered Stockholm agreement, which was signed last December.

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Source: aawsat.com

First serious clashes in Hodeida after truce

Sana’a: Yemeni security officials and eyewitnesses say that fighting has erupted in the key port city of Hodeida, the first significant clashes since warring sides agreed to a UN-brokered cease-fire deal in December.

They say the combat began overnight into Sunday, leaving fires burning on the main front lines in the city’s east and south, while exchanges of artillery fire shook the beleaguered city.

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Source: gulfnews.com

Netanyahu: Israeli Navy Could “Block” Iranian Oil Shipping

In an address at a naval academy graduation ceremony on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggested that the Israeli Navy could become involved in “blocking” Iranian oil shipments.

“Iran is trying to bypass the sanctions on it through the covert smuggling of petroleum via the sea. As these attempts expand, the navy will have a more important role in efforts to block these Iranian actions,” Netanyahu said. “I call on the entire international community to stop Iran’s attempts to circumvent the sanctions by sea, and of course, by any (other) means.”

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Source: maritime-executive.com