May 20, 2015
- New Tensions Build Between U.S. and Iran in Waters off Yemen– Dion Nissenbaum and Asa Fitch
Two Iranian warships have linked up in the waters off Yemen’s coast with an Iranian vessel said to be carrying aid for Yemen, Pentagon officials said Tuesday. American officials have called on Iran to send the ship to the African country of Djibouti to undergo newly established UN inspections for aid going to Yemen. But Iran has ignored that appeal so far. (Wall Street Journal)
See also Iran Ship to Refuse Inspections
Iranian officials said an Iranian cargo ship, which left from Bandar Abbas, Iran, for al Hudaydah, Yemen, and is escorted by the Iranian Navy’s 34th Fleet, will refuse inspections by countries involved in the conflict in Yemen. Iran appears to be testing U.S. redlines in the Gulf of Aden. Recent incidents involving the U.S.-flagged Maersk Kensington, Marshall Islands-flagged Maersk Tigris, and a convoy of seven cargo ships reportedly carrying weapons for the Houthis demonstrate Iran’s willingness to test the line. (American Enterprise Institute)
(Click on the title of either article to see the whole article…Ed.)