Latest news with #MaritimeTradeOperations
Morocco World
a day ago
- Business
- Morocco World
Trump Moves US Staff from Middle East as Iran Talks Stall
Rabat – US President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that the United States is moving some of its personnel out of the Middle East due to growing tensions over Iran's nuclear program, with a stark warning that the country must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. The announcement comes as nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran remain stalled. Iran has warned that if a conflict breaks out, it will target US military bases across the region. 'We've given notice to move out and we'll see what happens,' Trump told reporters in Washington. 'They can't have a nuclear weapon. Very simple. We're not going to allow that.' According to US officials, embassy staff in Iraq are being reduced due to security concerns, with reports suggesting personnel are also being moved from Kuwait and Bahrain. This move comes amid concerns that Israel may soon carry out airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites. Trump said he has urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to hold off on any action to give diplomacy more time, but he also said his patience is wearing thin. Iran responded strongly, threatening to strike US bases in the region if attacked. 'All its bases are within our reach … and without hesitation we will target all of them in the host countries,' said Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh. Iran's top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, is expected to meet US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman on Sunday to discuss a response to Washington's latest proposal for a nuclear deal. Since returning to office in January, Trump has re-launched his 'maximum pressure' campaign on Iran, warning of military action if talks fail. This isn't the first time tensions between the two countries have led to threats of violence in recent years. In 2020, after a US strike killed top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani, Iran fired missiles at US bases in Iraq. The US still has many military bases in the Middle East, including its largest in Qatar. The UK's Maritime Trade Operations has advised ships to be careful when passing through the Gulf due to the risk of conflict. The main issue in the talks is Iran's uranium enrichment. Iran is currently enriching uranium at a rate 60% much higher than the 3.67% allowed under the 2015 nuclear deal. Although 60% is still below weapons-grade (90%), it has still put Iran on a high-alert watch for Western nations. Tehran insists its program is for peaceful use, but the US says this level of enrichment is unacceptable. The US initiated a proposal during multiple talks on the issue, but Iran has criticized it for not including relief from harsh economic sanctions, which have severely hurt its economy, and says it will soon present a counter-proposal.
Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
UK issues unusual 'rising tensions' warning as US orders diplomatic evacuations
The Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a British maritime security agency, has taken measures following Donald Trump's move to issue evacuation orders for non-essential personnel The UK has issued an "unusual warning" to its commercial ships in the Middle East amid "rising tensions". The Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) fears "an escalation of military activity" is on the cards across the region, and believs security may be at risk. It says vessels must use the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Straits of Hormuz, all of which pass Iran, with caution for the forseeable future. Iran publicly threatened to attack US military bases in the Middle East if they were attacked first. Donald Trump added fuel to the fire yesterday, crassly stating the country will never have a nuclear weapon whether a deal is reached or not. 'UKMTO has been made aware of increased tensions within the region which could lead to an escalation of military activity having a direct impact on mariners. Vessels are advised to transit the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Straits of Hormuz with caution," the UKMTO said today. The Trump administration has issued evacuation orders for non-essential personnel at the US Embassy in Iraq, and its diplomatic facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also told FOX News there would be voluntary departure for dependents of military personnel serving in the Central Command (CENTCOM) area of operations across the Middle East. This discourse led to the UKMTO advisory today as regional tensions surged. Iranian officials appeared to be responding to calls from hawks in the US to dismantle Iran's nuclear program by force if necessary. But Mr Trump was pessimistic when interviewed earlier this week. The US President said: "I don't know. I'm less confident now than I would have been a couple of months ago. Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made." He spoke on the podcast Pod Force One on Monday, which explored in depth the tense situation across the Middle East. Meanwhile, suspected US airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen killed at least three people recently. Yemeni rebels said they shot down a £25m Reaper attack drone during April's onslaught, which indicated a possible US attack on Iran. It happened after the US moved six of its prized B-2 Strategic Stealth bombers to the secretive Indo-Pacific island base of Diego Garcia. Hours after the surprise announcement of the Washington-Tehran talks, Iran's foreign minister said the conversation in Oman would be "indirect" but could be "as much an opportunity as... a test." Mr Trump - who pulled the US out a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and world powers during his first term - said discussions would be at "very high level," as he delivered his warning to Tehran.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US to partially evacuate embassy in Iraq over security threats
Non-essential US embassy staff and their dependants in Baghdad are evacuating from Iraq due to heightened security risks, US government sources said on Wednesday. Officials did not say exactly what prompted the removal, however in recent days talks over Iran's nuclear programme appear to have stalled. A US state department official told the BBC: "We are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. "Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our mission in Iraq." US President Donald Trump told a podcast on Wednesday that he was growing less confident that a deal could be reached over Iran's nuclear programme. The US wants Iran to stop enriching uranium, which can be used to create a nuclear bomb, in exchange for easing economic sanctions. Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said his country would retaliate against US bases in the region if talks fail and Trump orders military strikes against Iran. Reuters reports that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also approved the voluntary departure of families of US military personnel from countries across the Middle East, including Kuwait and Bahrain. Also on Wednesday, the UK's Maritime Trade Operations organisation - part of the Royal Navy - issued a warning saying that increased military tensions in the Middle East could affect shipping. The price of oil initially increased more than 4% when news of the US evacuation broke, in anticipation of regional insecurity potentially leading to supply problems. Around 2,500 US troops are based in Iraq, according to the defence department. Additional reporting by Tom Bateman in Washington What is Iran's nuclear programme and what does the US want? US sends nuclear deal proposal to Iran
Voice of America
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
China, Iran, Russia hold joint naval drills in Middle East
China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a show of force in a region still uneasy over Tehran's rapidly expanding nuclear program and as Yemen's Houthi rebels threaten new attacks on ships. The joint drills, called the Maritime Security Belt 2025, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world's crude oil passes. The area around the strait has in the past seen Iran seize commercial ships and launch suspected attacks in the time since President Donald Trump first unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. The drill marked the fifth year the three countries took part in the drills. This year's drill likely sparked a warning late Monday from the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which said there was GPS interference in the strait, with disruptions lasting for several hours and forcing crews to rely on backup navigation methods. "This was likely GPS jamming to reduce the targeting capability of drones and missiles," wrote Shaun Robertson, an intelligence analyst at the EOS Risk Group. "However, electronic navigation system interference has been reported in this region previously during periods of increased tension and military exercises." US-patrolled waters Russia's Defense Ministry identified the vessels it sent to the drill as the corvettes Rezky and the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the tanker Pechenega. China's Defense Ministry said it sent the guided-missile destroyer Baotou and the comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu. Neither offered a count of the personnel involved. Neither China nor Russia actively patrol the wider Middle East, whose waterways remain crucial for global energy supplies. Instead, they broadly cede that to Western nations largely led by the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. Observers for the drill included Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates — with the Americans likely keeping watch as well. However, China and Russia have deep interests in Iran. For China, it has continued to purchase Iranian crude oil despite facing Western sanctions, likely at a discount compared with global prices. Beijing also remains one of the top markets for Iranian imports. Russia, meanwhile, has relied on Iran for the supply of bomb-carrying drones it uses in its war on Ukraine. Iran highlights drills The drills marked a major moment for Iran's state-run television network. It has aired segments showing live fire during a night drill and sailors manning deck guns on a vessel. The exercises come after an Iranian monthslong drill that followed a direct Israeli attack on the country, targeting its air defenses and sites associated with its ballistic missile program. While Tehran sought to downplay the assault, it shook the wider populace and came as a campaign of Israeli assassinations and attacks have decimated Iran's self-described "Axis of Resistance" — a series of militant groups allied with the Islamic Republic. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was also overthrown in December, further weakening Iran's grip on the wider region. All the while, Iran has increasingly stockpiled more uranium enriched at near-weapons-grade levels, something done only by atomic-armed nations. Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb. Iran's nuclear program has drawn warnings from Israel and the U.S., signaling that military action against the program could happen. But just last week, Trump sent a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seeking a new nuclear deal. Iran says it hasn't received any letter but still issued a flurry of pronouncements over it. Houthis renew threats As a shaky ceasefire holds in Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yemen's Houthi rebels said they were resuming attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as well as the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connects the two waterways. The rebels' secretive leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels would resume within four days if Israel didn't let aid into Gaza. As the deadline passed Tuesday, the Houthis said they were again banning Israeli vessels from the waters off Yemen. Although no attacks were reported, it has put shippers on edge. The rebels targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels and killing four sailors, since November 2023.
Yemen Online
12-03-2025
- Business
- Yemen Online
China, Iran and Russia hold joint naval drills in Middle East as tensions rise between Tehran and US
China, Iran and Russia conducted joint naval drills Tuesday in the Middle East, offering a show of force in a region still uneasy over Tehran's rapidly expanding nuclear program and as Yemen's Houthi rebels threaten new attacks on ships. The joint drills, called the Maritime Security Belt 2025, took place in the Gulf of Oman near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Arabian Gulf through which a fifth of all crude oil traded worldwide passes. The area around the strait in the past has seen Iran seize commercial ships and launch suspected attacks in the time since President Donald Trump first unilaterally withdrew America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers. The drill marked the fifth year the three countries took part in the drills. This year's drill likely sparked a warning late Monday from the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, which said there was GPS interference in the strait, with disruptions lasting for several hours and forcing crews to rely on backup navigation methods. 'This was likely GPS jamming to reduce the targeting capability of drones and missiles,' wrote Shaun Robertson, an intelligence analyst at the EOS Risk Group. 'However, electronic navigation system interference has been reported in this region previously during periods of increased tension and military exercises.' China and Russia in Mideast waters patrolled by US Navy Russia's Defense Ministry identified the vessels it sent to the drill as the corvettes Rezky and the Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov, as well as the tanker Pechenega. China's Defense Ministry said it sent the guided-missile destroyer Baotou and the comprehensive supply ship Gaoyouhu. Neither offered a count of the personnel involved. Neither China nor Russia actively patrol the wider Middle East, whose waterways remain crucial for global energy supplies. Instead they broadly cede that to Western nations largely led by the US Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. Observers for the drill included Azerbaijan, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates — with the Americans likely keeping watch as well. However, both China and Russia have deep interests in Iran. For China, it has continued to purchase Iranian crude oil despite facing Western sanctions, likely at a discount compared to global prices. Beijing also remains one of the top markets for Iranian imports. Russia, meanwhile, has relied on Iran for the supply of bomb-carrying drones it uses in its war on Ukraine. Iran highlights drills to boost public support after Israeli attack The drills marked a major moment for Iran's state-run television network. It's aired segments showing live-fire during a night drill and sailors manning deck guns on a vessel. The exercises come after an Iranian monthslong drill that followed a direct Israeli attack on the country, targeting its air defenses and sites associated with its ballistic missile program. While Tehran sought to downplay the assault, it shook the wider populace and came as a campaign of Israeli assassinations and attacks have decimated Iran's self-described 'Axis of Resistance' — a series of militant groups allied with the Islamic Republic. Syrian President Bashar Assad was also overthrown in December, further weakening Iran's grip on the wider region. All the while, Iran has increasingly stockpiled more uranium enriched at near weapons-grade levels, something only done by atomic-armed nations. Tehran has long maintained its program is for peaceful purposes, even as its officials increasingly threaten to pursue the bomb. Iran's nuclear program has drawn warnings from both Israel and the US that it won't allow Tehran to obtain a bomb, signalling military action against the program could happen. But just last week, Trump sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, seeking a new nuclear deal with Tehran. Iran says it hasn't received any letter, but still issued a flurry of pronouncements over it. Yemen's Houthis renew threats to Mideast waterways As a shaky ceasefire holds in Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yemen's Houthi rebels have threatened to resume their attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that connect the two waterways. The rebels' secretive leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi warned Friday that attacks against Israel-linked vessels off Yemen would resume within four days if aid didn't resume to Gaza. That deadline came and went Tuesday. Though no attacks were reported, that again put shippers on edge. The rebels had targeted over 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels in their campaign that has also killed four sailors.
