EXCLUSIVE: Iran urges de-escalation from Houthis
Shafaq News/ Iran has asked Yemen's Houthi movement to de-escalate and consider opening a negotiation channel with the United States, sources told Shafaq News.
The message was delivered by former Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi during a recent visit to Sanaa, the sources explained. The proposal includes suspending Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb on the condition of a halt to US airstrikes.
'The results of this message should become clearer once Abdul Mahdi returns to Baghdad,' one source said.
Tehran is reportedly seeking to reshape the rules of engagement across its regional allies and views Yemen as a 'focal point' for reducing tensions with Washington. Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani relayed a similar message during a recent visit to Baghdad, urging restraint and encouraging dialogue.
'Iran wants a trusted figure to facilitate dialogue between Yemen and the United States,' one source said, explaining the selection of Abdul Mahdi, who served as Iraq's Prime Minister from 2018 to 2020 and is viewed as a close ally of Tehran.
'Iraq wants to be a space for dialogue, not conflict,' another source said, adding that Baghdad's role as a mediator reflects its "growing diplomatic weight" in the region.
Addressing reports of Houthi fighters in Iraq, the sources said the government "does not allow any armed groups, under any name or cover, to use its land as a safe haven," adding that the reported Ansarallah presence in Diyala did not require a "diplomatic mission to Yemen."
A Houthi representative office reportedly remains in Baghdad, despite the closure of a secondary location.
During his visit, Abdul Mahdi also spoke at the Third International Scientific Conference on Palestine. In his remarks, he criticized US naval operations and said the military campaign had 'contributed to strengthening Yemenis,' who he claimed 'developed new methods to resist the Israeli enemy.'
'Yemen continues to endure and advance in ways unprecedented in the history of the conflict,' he said. 'While the enemy depletes its accumulated military stockpiles, Yemen adapts and responds.'
The visit coincided with intensified US strikes on Houthi targets. In a post on Truth Social, US President Donald Trump said, 'Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It's not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!'
The Houthi movement initiated its attacks on vessels in the Red Sea in November 2023, expressing solidarity with Palestinians amid the Gaza war. They targeted ships linked to Israel, aiming to pressure for humanitarian aid access to Gaza. A ceasefire in January 2025 led to a temporary halt in these attacks, until the collapse of the truce and Israel's resumption of military operations in Gaza, when the Houthis declared the resumption of their attacks.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Shafaq News
2 hours ago
- Shafaq News
IAEA director accuses Iran of breaching trust
Shafaq News/ On Monday, the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, accused Iran of undermining cooperation by secretly obtaining and analyzing classified UN nuclear documents. Grossi confirmed that the incident dated back several years and was detailed in a confidential agency report circulated to member states on May 31. The report stated the IAEA had 'conclusive evidence' that Iranian authorities had actively collected and reviewed highly sensitive agency materials. Grossi emphasized, 'Such actions are clearly incompatible with the spirit of cooperation.' The IAEA is working to ease tensions amid concerns over a possible Israeli military strike on Iran's nuclear program, he said, highlighting that a thorough verification and monitoring process could provide the necessary reassurance to both Israel and the international community. Regarding Iran's current uranium stockpile, Grossi clarified that uranium enrichment is not in itself banned and acknowledged Iran's repeated assertion of this point. However, he cautioned that Iran's continued enrichment to near weapons-grade levels is unique globally and cannot be overlooked. Turning to Iran's nuclear trajectory, Grossi reiterated that the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was designed to regulate a very different version of Iran's nuclear program. 'Even if you wanted to revive it, it would not be enough because now they have new technologies,' he remarked. Asked about the potential impact of a resolution by the IAEA Board of Governors on Iran–US nuclear talks, Grossi stated there is 'no formal link' between the two tracks but acknowledged a 'mutual influence.' The resolution, backed by the US, UK, France, and Germany, censures Iran for non-compliance with its safeguards obligations.
Iraqi News
5 hours ago
- Iraqi News
Israel diverts Gaza-bound aid boat carrying Greta Thunberg
Jerusalem – Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound aid boat on Monday, preventing the activists on board — including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg — from reaching the blockaded Palestinian territory. The Madleen set sail from Italy on June 1 to raise awareness of food shortages in Gaza, which the United Nations has called the 'hungriest place on Earth'. After 21 months of war, the UN warns the entire population is at risk of famine. At around 4:02 am (0102 GMT), Israeli forces 'forcibly intercepted' the vessel in international waters as it was approaching Gaza, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition said. 'If you see this video, we have been intercepted and kidnapped in international waters,' Thunberg said in a pre-recorded video shared by the coalition. Footage from the group shows the activists with their hands up as Israeli forces boarded the vessel, with one of them saying nobody was injured prior to the interception. Israel's foreign ministry wrote on social media, 'all the passengers of the 'selfie yacht' are safe and unharmed,' adding that it expected the activists to return to their home countries. Turkey condemned the interception of the Madleen as a 'heinous attack' in international waters. Iran also denounced it as 'a form of piracy', citing the same grounds. In May, another Freedom Flotilla ship, the Conscience, reported it was struck by drones in an attack the group blamed on Israel. In 2010, a commando raid on the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara, which was part of a similar attempt to breach Israel's naval blockade, left 10 civilians dead. On Sunday, Defence Minister Israel Katz said the blockade, in place since years before the Israel-Hamas war, was needed to prevent Palestinian militants from importing weapons. – 'Risked their lives' for food – The boat was intercepted about 185 kilometres (115 miles) west of the coast of Gaza, according to coordinates provided by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition. Israel is facing mounting international pressure to allow more aid into Gaza to alleviate widespread shortages of food and basic supplies. It recently allowed some humanitarian deliveries to resume after barring them for more than two months and began working with the newly formed, US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. But humanitarian agencies have criticised the GHF and the United Nations refuses to work with it, citing concerns over its practices and neutrality. Dozens of people have been killed near GHF distribution points since late May, according to Gaza's civil defence agency. It said Israeli attacks killed at least 10 people on Sunday, including five civilians hit by gunfire near an aid distribution centre. Civil defence spokesman Mahmud Bassal and witnesses said the civilians had been heading to a GHF-run site west of Rafah, in southern Gaza. Abdallah Nour al-Din, a witness, said 'the Israeli army opened fire' on people who had started gathering at the site in the early morning. The Israeli military said it fired on people who 'continued advancing in a way that endangered the soldiers' despite warnings. – Sinwar – The GHF said there had been no incidents 'at any of our three sites' on Sunday. Outside Nasser Hospital, where the emergency workers brought the casualties, AFPTV footage showed mourners crying over blood-stained body bags. 'I can't see you like this,' said Lin al-Daghma by her father's body. She spoke of the struggle to access food aid after the two-months Israeli blockade, despite the recent easing. At a charity kitchen in Gaza City, displaced Palestinian Umm Ghassan told AFP she had been unable to collect aid from a GHF site 'because there were so many people, and there was a lot of shooting. I was afraid to go in, but there were people who risked their lives for their children and families'. Also on Sunday, the Israeli military said it had located and identified the body of Mohammed Sinwar, presumed Hamas leader in Gaza, in an 'underground tunnel route beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis', in southern Gaza. The military, which until Sunday had not confirmed his death, said Israeli forces killed Sinwar on May 13. Sinwar was the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, accused by Israel of masterminding the 2023 attack that triggered the war. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 54,880 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. After the deaths of several Hamas leaders, Mohammed Sinwar was thought to be at the heart of decisions on indirect negotiations with Israel. The military said that alongside Sinwar's body, forces had found 'additional intelligence' at the Khan Yunis site 'underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room'.
Shafaq News
5 hours ago
- Shafaq News
UN Ocean Conference: Iraqi President urges global climate, water action
Shafaq News/ On Monday, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Jamal Rashid called for urgent global action on climate and water security during his speech at the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), held June 9–13 in Nice, France. Rashid arrived in France on Sunday with First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed, Deputy Prime Minister Fuad Hussein, and senior officials for the summit, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica. At the high-level session, Rashid warned that Iraq faces a 'severe and growing water crisis ' fueled by climate change and poor cross-border water management, blaming shrinking flows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers for decimating agriculture and triggering internal displacement. He reaffirmed Iraq's commitment to multilateral efforts against climate threats, stressing that worsening water shortages are deepening food insecurity and economic hardship nationwide. رئيس الجمهورية @LJRashid: إن محيطاتنا وبحارنا تمثل القلب النابض لكوكب الأرض ورئته التي لا غنى عنها؛ فهي تُنتج أكثر من نصف الأوكسجين الذي نتنفسه، وتحتضن معظم التنوع البيولوجي على سطح الأرض، وتسهم بدور جوهري في تنظيم المناخ العالمي. — رئاسة جمهورية العراق (@IraqiPresidency) June 9, 2025 Framing ocean degradation as a security challenge, Rashid urged an integrated global response. 'Oceans and seas are more than natural wonders; they are complex ecosystems that stabilize our climate, support food security, generate livelihoods, and regulate the Earth's water cycle.' The Iraqi President outlined key priorities: increasing sustainable ocean investment, restoring marine ecosystems, expanding hydrological and oceanic mapping, closing legal loopholes in high seas governance, and securing fair water-sharing deals. He also pressed for implementation of the High Seas Treaty and the inclusion of water and climate strategies in national development plans—especially in vulnerable nations. 'Together, let us unite with purpose and determination to protect our oceans and secure a sustainable, equitable future for all who depend on them.'
