U.S. Military Reports Houthi Strikes on U.S. Navy Ship, U.S.-Owned Cargo Vessel |
A missile fired by Iran-backed Houthi rebels hit (NYT) a U.S.-owned commercial ship yesterday, one day after U.S. forces shot down a Houthi missile targeting a U.S. warship, Washington said. The attacks persist after the United States and United Kingdom (UK) launched a missile barrage late last week in response to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and nearby waterways that are disrupting a vital global trade route. U.S. Central Command also said today that it seized Iranian-supplied weapons on January 11 that were bound for Houthi forces in Yemen.
In another sign of the Middle East war’s expansion beyond its initial grounds of Israel and the Gaza Strip, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed an attack (WaPo) in northern Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdistan region that it said targeted the espionage center of Israel's intelligence agency. A U.S. State Department spokesperson called the attacks, which occurred near a U.S. Consulate, “reckless.”
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“[U.S.-led strikes on the Houthis] revealed the limited batch of mostly bad options the United States has for dealing with the Houthi attacks as it scrambles to contain the regional crisis sparked by the war,” Foreign Policy’s Robbie Gramer and Christina Lu write.
“[The Houthis’ targeting of Red Sea shipping] has forced all major shipping lines to reroute their vessels around Africa,” CFR expert Steven A. Cook says in this commentary. “This requires more ships, more fuel, and, importantly, stretching global supply lines and potentially increasing prices for everyday goods. It’s important to note that freedom of navigation is a critical global interest of the United States.”
Read the full suite of Foreign Affairs and CFR.org resources on Israel and the current conflict. |
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Former U.S. Officials Meet With Taiwanese President-Elect |
A U.S. delegation, including senior officials from the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations, met with (NBC) Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen and President-Elect William Lai in Taipei yesterday; one former U.S. official said the United States’ commitment to Taiwan was “rock solid.” The ruling Democratic Progressive Party won a third consecutive presidency but lost control of the legislature.
On The President’s Inbox podcast, CFR expert David Sacks discusses Taiwan’s election.
China: Premier Li Qiang became (Reuters) the highest-level official since President Xi Jinping in 2017 to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where Li touted China’s economic rebound to attract international investment. Foreign investors have shunned China in recent months; the country experienced a deficit in foreign direct investment last year for the first time since records began in 1998.
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Indian and Russian Leaders Discuss War in Ukraine, BRICS on Phone Call |
The call yesterday between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin came a day after (Indian Express) a meeting of security officials from roughly eighty countries at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where Switzerland urged India to leverage its influence with Russia to push for peace in Ukraine. India and Russia are both part of the BRICS negotiating bloc, named for its original members of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Myanmar: A rebel group known as the Arakan Army announced yesterday that it seized control (AP) of the Paletwa township bordering Bangladesh and India. Arakan Army’s claim echoed reports by residents and local media, though the ruling military junta did not immediately comment.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Iran Sentences Nobel-Winning Activist to Additional Fifteen Months in Prison |
An Iranian court added (BBC) a fifteen-month sentence to Narges Mohammadi’s prison term and two years of living in exile outside Tehran over accusations that she spread propaganda against the government while in jail. Mohammadi, the 2023 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has been in and out of prison for two decades for her activism. |
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Rwandan Forces Report Killing, Arrests of Congolese Soldiers |
The Rwandan military said today that its forces killed one soldier (Reuters) and arrested two others from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) after Congolese soldiers crossed into Rwandan territory and one shot at a Rwandan patrol. Tensions between the countries have run high in recent years as the DRC has accused Rwanda of backing DRC rebels.
Sudan: International aid agencies are studying (Reuters) a new route into Sudan via South Sudan after they lost access to the former aid hub of Wad Madani in December following its seizure by paramilitary forces, a senior UN official said yesterday. More than 7.5 million people have fled their homes since the country’s civil war broke out nine months ago, making it the biggest displacement crisis worldwide.
The Center for Preventive Action tracks the civil war in Sudan.
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Ukraine Says It Shot Down Russian Spy Plane |
Russian authorities did not immediately comment (CNN) after Ukraine said it shot down two military aircraft over the Sea of Azov yesterday, including one surveillance plane. Ukrainian forces have been focusing on targeting Russia’s A-50 spy planes for their long-range radar detection capabilities.
UK: The Home Office announced plans to ban (NYT) Islamist organization Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is headquartered in Lebanon, citing the group’s praise of Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 7 attacks on Israel. The UK legislature is expected to vote on the measure this week; if approved, it could take effect as early as Friday.
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Nicaragua Frees Imprisoned Clergy |
Two bishops, two seminarians, and fifteen priests arrived in Rome (Vatican News) after being freed by Nicaragua’s government over the weekend. Pope Francis had criticized the ongoing crackdown against clergy in the country in his New Year’s address. For the Pressure Points blog, CFR expert Elliott Abrams looks at the repression of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua.
Venezuela: The country’s economy grew 5 percent (Reuters) in 2023, President Nicolás Maduro said yesterday during his annual address to the legislature. Venezuela has suffered a prolonged economic crisis in recent years, though the United States has eased sanctions on the country’s oil and gas sector in the last year.
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Trump Wins Iowa Caucus With DeSantis in Distant Second |
Former President Donald Trump won 51 percent (NPR) of votes in yesterday’s Iowa Republican caucus, while Florida Governor Ron DeSantis earned 21.2 percent and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley earned 19.1 percent. Following the vote, candidate Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign and endorsed Trump. |
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