Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 24 June 2019

Yemeni rebels strike Saudi airport ahead of Pompeo visit

Associated Press uranium enrichment levels.
DUBAI, United Arab Emir- Netanyahu made no men-
ates (AP) — One person tion of the called-off air-
was killed and seven oth- strike and said he was
ers were wounded in an "pleased" by U.S. plans for
attack by Iranian-allied Ye- increased economic pres-
meni rebels on an airport sure. But some Israeli com-
in Saudi Arabia Sunday mentators said that Trump's
evening, the Saudi military about-face was a cause
said, as the U.S. secretary of for concern.
state was on his way to the Iran's foreign minister said
country for talks on Iran. Bolton was trying to force
Regional tensions have the U.S. into a conflict with
flared in recent days. The Iran. Javad Zarif tweeted
U.S. abruptly called off that the presidential ad-
military strikes against Iran viser was "moments away
in response to the shoot- from trapping" Trump into a
ing down of an unmanned "war," before the U.S. presi-
American surveillance dent called off the strikes
drone on Thursday. against Iran.
The Trump administration America's European al-
has combined a "maximum lies have expressed deep
pressure" campaign of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., Sunday, concern about the volatile
economic sanctions with a June 23, 2019, before boarding a plane headed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. standoff. A top British diplo-
buildup of American forces Associated Press mat was in Tehran on Sun-
in the region following the day to discuss preventing
U.S. withdrawal from the at the airport on June 12, They know precisely how to flames. He was quoted any "escalation and mis-
2015 nuclear deal between wounding 26 passengers find us," he said. by the official IRNA news calculation," according to
Iran and world powers. A inside. The Iranian-backed Meanwhile, U.S. nation- agency. the UK Foreign Office.
new set of U.S. sanctions Houthis also claimed re- al security adviser John Bolton, a longtime Iran The two-day visit of Andrew
on Iran are expected to be sponsibility for bomb-laden Bolton was in Jerusalem hawk, emphasized that the Murrison, the UK's minis-
announced Monday. drone strikes that targeted on Sunday, where he said U.S. reserved the right to at- ter of state for the Middle
The Sunday attack by the a key Saudi oil pipeline in Iran should not "mistake tack at a later point. East, was aimed at "open,
Yemeni rebels, known as recent weeks. U.S. prudence and discre- "No one has granted them frank and constructive en-
Houthis, targeted the Saudi Also Sunday, U.S Secretary tion for weakness." Presi- a hunting license in the gagement" with his Iranian
airport in Abha. Saudi Ara- of State Mike Pompeo was dent Donald Trump has Middle East. As President counterparts, according to
bia has been at war with traveling to Saudi Arabia said he backed away from Trump said on Friday our the Foreign Office. This in-
the Houthis in Yemen for and the United Arab Emir- planned strikes after learn- military is rebuilt, new and cluded reiterating the UK's
more than four years. ates for talks on Iran. His ing 150 people would be ready to go," Bolton said assessment that Iran almost
A Houthi spokesman, Yahia meetings in Saudi Arabia killed. alongside Israeli Prime Min- certainly bears responsibil-
al-Sarie, said earlier Sunday will be in the Red Sea city Bolton's tough message ister Benjamin Netanyahu, ity for recent attacks on oil
the rebels had launched of Jiddah, about 315 miles seemed to be aimed not himself a vocal critic of Iran tankers in the Gulf of Oman,
drones targeting Saudi air- (505 kilometers) north of only at Tehran, but also at over the years.Netanyahu, which Iran denies.
ports in the southern cities where the Saudi airport reassuring key U.S. allies a longtime opponent of Murrison added that Iran
of Abha and Jizan. was struck. that the White House re- the nuclear deal, has re- must continue to meet its
Saudi Arabia's military Speaking to reporters be- mains committed to main- mained uncharacteristical- commitments under the
spokesman Col. Turki al- fore flying out, he said he'll taining pressure on Iran. Is- ly quiet throughout the cur- nuclear deal.
Maliki did not say what be talking to the two U.S. rael, along with Arab coun- rent crisis between the U.S. Iran has threatened to
type of weapon was used allies "about how to make tries in the Gulf, considers and Iran. The Israeli leader break the limits set on its
in Sunday's attack, which sure that we are all strate- Iran to be their greatest appears to be wary of be- uranium stockpile by the
took place shortly after 9 gically aligned" and how threat, and Trump's last- ing seen as pushing the U.S. deal in the coming days, if
p.m. local time. The Saudi to build a global coalition minute about face ap- into a new Middle Eastern European powers don't find
Press Agency reported that to "push back against the pears to have raised ques- military conflict. a way to circumvent U.S.
a Syrian resident of Saudi world's largest state spon- tions about U.S. willingness Standing alongside Bolton, sanctions.
Arabia had been killed, but sor of terror."At the same to use force against the Is- Netanyahu said Iranian According to IRNA, Iranian
did not identify the nation- time, Pompeo reiterated lamic Republic. involvement in conflicts officials told Murrision they
alities of those wounded. that the U.S. was prepared On Sunday, Iranian Presi- across the region had in- hoped that European sig-
It was the second attack to negotiate with Iran to dent Hassan Rouhani creased as a result of the natories to the nuclear
in less than two weeks on ease tensions. blamed the United States' nuclear deal, which lifted deal will pursue "normal re-
Abha's airport. The Houthis "We're prepared to negoti- "interventionist military sanctions on Iran in ex- lations and trade" despite
launched a cruise missile ate with no preconditions. presence" for fanning the change for set limits on its the sanctions.q