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WORLD NEWS Friday 3 March 2023
British navy seizes Iran missiles, parts likely Yemen bound

By JON GAMBRELL A United Nations resolu-
Associated Press tion bans arms transfers to
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- Yemen's Iranian-backed
ates (AP) — The British navy Houthi rebels. Tehran long
seized anti-tank missiles has denied arming the
and fins for ballistic missile rebels, despite physical
assemblies during a raid on evidence, numerous sei-
a small boat heading from zures and experts tying the
Iran likely to Yemen, au- weapons back to Iran.
thorities said Thursday, the In its statement, the Royal
latest such seizure in the Navy referred to that U.N.
Gulf of Oman. resolution and said the
The seizure by the Royal world body "has been in-
Navy comes after other formed about the seizure
seizures by French and and invited to conduct its
U.S. forces in the region as own inspection of the ma-
Western powers increase teriel."
their pressure on Iran, which "This seizure by HMS Lan-
is it now enriching uranium caster and the permanent
closer than ever to weap- presence of the Royal
ons-grade levels. It also Navy in the Gulf region sup-
comes as regional and in- In this photo from the U.S. Army, anti-tank missiles and medium-range ballistic missile compo- ports our commitment to
ternational powers try to nents seized by the United Kingdom Royal Navy sit pier side at an undisclosed location in the uphold international law
find an end to the yearslong Middle East on Feb. 26, 2023. and tackle activity that
war gripping Yemen, the Associated Press threatens peace and secu-
Arab world's poorest coun- rity around the world," Brit-
try, and as Iran arms Russia boat tried to reenter Irani- seen in other seizures sus- it suspected the weapons ish Defense Secretary Ben
in its war on Ukraine. an territorial water, but was pected to be from Iran and would go, the U.S. Navy Wallace said.
The raid took place Feb. 23 stopped before it could. bound for Yemen. described the seizure as Vice Adm. Brad Cooper,
after an American aircraft Inside the boat, British Sailors found small fins that happening "along a route the commander of the
detected a small motor- troops found Russian-de- the U.S. Navy identified historically used to traffic American 5th Fleet, said in
boat with cargo covered signed 9M133 Kornet anti- as jet vanes for medium- weapons unlawfully to Ye- a statement that this was
by a gray tarp heading tank guided missiles, weap- range ballistic missiles, as men." the "seventh illegal weap-
from Iran, with a helicopter ons also manufactured in well as devices the Navy Iranian components have on or drug interdiction in
from the Royal Navy frigate Iran under the name "De- identified as "impact sensor helped build a missile ar- the last three months and
HMS Lancaster chasing the hlavieh," the U.S. Navy's covers" that go on the tips senal for Yemen's Houthi yet another example of
vessel as it ignored being Mideast-based 5th Fleet of those missiles. rebels, who have held the Iran's increasing malign
hailed by radio, the British and the British navy said. While the British did not country's capital, Sanaa, maritime activity across the
Defense Ministry said. The Those weapons have been specifically identify where since 2014. region." q

Israeli campaign raises funds for torched Palestinian town

By ISAAC SCHARF and AMI Sunday, setting dozens of Palestinians whose proper-
BENTOV cars and homes on fire af- ty was damaged in the at-
Associated Press ter two settlers were killed tack. He said he received
YOKNEAM, Israel (AP) — An by a Palestinian gunman threats from opponents to
Israeli-led crowdfunding there earlier in the day. the campaign, who called
campaign has raised hun- One Palestinian was killed him a traitor for raising
dreds of thousands of dol- by Israeli fire during the inci- money for the Palestinians,
lars for Palestinian residents dent, the Palestinian Health even as some are carrying
of a West Bank town that Ministry said. out attacks.
was set ablaze by radical The rampage, the worst The rampage prompted in-
Jewish settlers, the orga- such violence in decades, ternational condemnation.
nizer of the drive said Thurs- prompted Israeli activist But Israel's government,
day. Yaya Fink, an observant which is made up of pro-
Some 12,000 Israelis donat- Jew, to launch the fundrais- settlement ultranational-
ed nearly 1.7 million shekels ing initiative. ists, expressed little outrage
(465,000 dollars) since the "I had very bad feelings and only called on the per- Palestinians clean their shops before Palestinian Prime Minister
Mohammad Shtayyeh visits to survey the aftermath of a ram-
campaign was launched for when I saw hundreds petrators not to take the page by settlers in Hawara, near the West Bank city of Nablus,
this week. The fundraising of religious Jews tried to law into their own hands. Wednesday, March 1, 2023.
effort was a rare instance burn Hawara, including in- However, some lawmakers Associated Press
of cooperation between nocent people," he said, went even further, includ-
Israelis and Palestinians at adding that it delivered a ing Finance Minister Bezalel Wednesday called on Ne- about Hawara "irrespon-
a time when tensions have message that "the major- Smotrich, who said Hawara tanyahu to "publicly and sible" and "unacceptable."
been surging between the ity of the Jews are against should be "erased" — but clearly reject" Smotrich's The U.N. chief, Antonio
sides over spiraling vio- extremism, against racism." by state authorities and not comments, describing Guterres, has reiterated his
lence. He said most of the money by private citizens. He later them as "repugnant" and call for all sides to "refrain
Scores of Israeli settlers was raised within the cam- backtracked on those re- "disgusting." from incitement, inflamma-
went on a violent rampage paign's first 12 hours. marks. On Thursday, U.N. spokes- tory rhetoric and all acts
in the northern West Bank Fink said the money will be U.S. State Department man Stephane Dujarric of provocation," Dujarric
town of Hawara late on sent as compensation to spokesman Ned Price on called Smotrich's remark added.q