Qatar Prime Minister Receives Rubio
American Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed “threats” and security in the Middle East during a meeting with Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, who had previously been received in Washington by Vice President JD Vance.
This Gulf state has often served as an intermediary for the United States in the Middle East. Since the start of the war with Iran on February 28, it has been the target of Iranian fire as an ally of the United States.
Iran Threatens in Case of Attack on Its Tankers
Iran threatened on Saturday night to target American sites in case of an attack on its merchant marine, following attacks by the U.S. military against two of its tankers in the Gulf of Oman.
“Any attack on Iranian tankers and commercial ships will result in a severe response against one of the American centers in the region as well as against enemy ships,” the Revolutionary Guards Navy stated.
Drone Strikes in Northern Israel, Soldier Seriously Injured
The Israeli army reported the launching of “several” explosive drones by Hezbollah towards Israeli territory, stating that one army reservist was seriously injured and two others were slightly injured.
Earlier, the pro-Iranian Lebanese Shiite movement had claimed to have targeted a gathering of soldiers in northern Israel.
Southern Lebanon: Nine Dead Including a Girl
Lebanese authorities announced on Saturday the death of nine people, including a girl, in new Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon, with Hezbollah claiming to have fired at northern Israel.
In Saksakiyeh, the Ministry of Health reported seven deaths, including a girl, and 15 wounded, including three children.
EU Calls for Better Humanitarian Access in Southern Lebanon
EU crisis humanitarian chief Hadja Lahbib called for better access to humanitarian aid in southern Lebanon in Beirut. “She is ready, but too often she cannot reach those who need it most,” she stated.
Oil Spill Off Iran “Greatly Reduced” According to NGO
An environmental defense organization, CEOBS, reported on Saturday that the oil spill off the Iranian Kharg region, which had raised fears of a black tide, had been “greatly reduced” based on satellite image analysis. “Although the offshore infrastructure in the region could be a potential source, we are not able to definitively identify a point of origin or attribute the black tide to a specific cause at this stage,” said CEOBS’s Leon Moreland.
British Destroyer in the Middle East
London announced that it would “preposition” a destroyer, the HMS Dragon, currently in the Mediterranean, in the Middle East in anticipation of the deployment of an international mission to secure maritime transport in the Strait of Hormuz.
/2021/12/14/61b8b9952d5fc_marie-adelaide-scigacz.png "War in the Middle East: Iran threatens a heavy response after the attack on two of its tankers by the United States")
