Iran-Allied Houthis Escalate With Several Attacks In One Day

The decision follows an initial suspension of services to and from Tehran amid fears of potential military escalation in the region.

The airline's move comes in response to heightened tensions following an Israeli attack on Iran on April 19, which prompted several airlines to alter their flight routes. Some flights were canceled, others were diverted to alternate airports, and a few returned to their departure points due to temporary airspace and airport closures.

The situation escalated when explosions were reported in Isfahan, in what sources described as an Israeli attack. However, Tehran downplayed the incident and signaled no intent for retaliation.

Israel had vowed to retaliate following the April 13 strikes, marking the first direct attack by Iran on Israeli territory. The assault had no fatalities as Israel and its allies successfully intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones.

Lufthansa and its subsidiary, Austrian Airlines, are notably the only Western airlines that operate flights to Tehran, which is predominantly serviced by Turkish and other Middle Eastern carriers.

The airspace over Iran is also crucial for flights operated by Emirates and Qatar Airways traveling to Europe and North America.

“We’re focused on addressing the greatest threat to regional stability and regional security: Iran. …[Iran’s attack on Israel] highlights the acute and growing threat from Iran, but also the imperative that we work together on integrated defense,” Blinken said at Monday’s meeting with Foreign Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council Member States.

Blinken is on his inaugural leg of what some are calling a Middle East "crisis tour," making a stop in Riyadh to meet with Arab leaders to try and push for an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The visit marks Blinken’s first time in the region since tensions between Tehran and Jerusalem began to ramp up.

The Secretary of State said that an upcoming meeting would enhance defense collaboration between the US and Persian Gulf states in response to Iran’s attack on Israel and the wider threat posed by Tehran.

“​​That’s the focus of the meeting that’s coming up in a few weeks with the US-GCC Working Group on Integrated Air and Missile Defense and Maritime Security,” Blinken said.

This month, Iran launched over 300 projectiles, including over 100 ballistic missiles, in its first direct attack at Israel.

The IDF has reported that it has, along with its allies, stopped 99% of the projectiles Iran fired on the country.

The attack followed the killing of seven senior Islamic Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) personnel in a strike on what was claimed to be Tehran’s consulate building in Damascus – an action widely attributed to Israel.

Israel’s retaliation, several strikes targeting the city of Isfahan, were largely downplayed by Tehran.

According to reporting from The Economist, new satellite imagery indicates that Iran responded by replacing a destroyed air-defense radar with a new one, effectively saving face while de-escalating tensions with Israel.

The strike took place near Mokha, Yemen, escalating tensions along a crucial maritime corridor that is pivotal for global shipping.

Iran-backed Houthi militants have escalated their attacks on shipping lanes in allegiance with Islamist group Hamas, with a particular focus on vessels linked to Israel or its principal allies, the US and Britain. The heightened risk has led several shipping companies to avoid the waters.

Security firm Ambrey indicated that the Malta-flagged container ship was targeted by three missiles while en route from Djibouti to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“The vessel was targeted due to its listed operator’s ongoing trade with Israel,” Ambrey said.

In a statement, CMA CGM, a shipping company based in Marseille, stated that their Malta-flagged vessel, CMA CGM Manta Ray, was not affected as it was docked in Djibouti during the attack.

US Central Command (USCENTCOM) reported the successful interception of five unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Red Sea.

“These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition, and merchant vessels,” read the statement by CENTCOM.

The Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack, though suspicion was directed at the group. It is common for the rebels to take several hours to acknowledge their operations.

The US Maritime Administration has recorded over 50 incidents involving Houthi disruptions since November, including vessel captures and sinkings. A recent downturn in such incidents coincided with a US-led airstrike campaign targeting Houthi strongholds in Yemen, which allegedly reduced the group’s capabilities.

The 6th Exhibition on Export Potential of the Islamic Republic of Iran, dubbed ‘IRANEXPO 2024,’ is being held in Tehran from 27 April to 1 May.

North Korea's official media reported last week that a delegation led by the cabinet minister for international trade was visiting Iran, marking a rare public acknowledgment of ties between the two countries with presumed secret military cooperation.

Despite long-standing suspicions of collaboration between North Korea and Iran on ballistic missile programs, Kanaani rejected such claims, denouncing certain media outlets for "biased speculations by publishing untrue and baseless news".

The minister for external economic relations, Yun Jong Ho, led the delegation's visit to Iran, according to North Korea's KCNA news agency. Yun, who has previously focused on Syria relations, has been actively involved in bolstering ties with Russia, leading a delegation to Moscow earlier this month.

In the face of denials, suspicions persist regarding ballistic missile collaborations between Iran, North Korea, and Russia, with reports indicating Iran's supply of ballistic missiles to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The ongoing encampments on campuses across the US have featured on the cover pages of many Iranian dailies in the past few days, triggering a considerable backlash from ordinary Iranians who view the stunt as ‘glaringly hypocritical’ from a regime that suspends, beats and imprisons students for much less than what students have been doing in the US in the past ten days.

“US universities are in the hands of students and professors that while condemning Israeli crimes in Gaza, are calling for the release of protesting students and the reinstatement of sacked students and members of faculty,” wrote the ultra-hardline Keyhan, which has been heralding the ‘demise’ and ‘end’ of the US and Israel for many years.

And, this time it is not just celebrating present events — but, the future, in which the author speculates that the US election hinges on the candidates’ support for Palestine.

The regime in Iran has always presented itself as the only true champion of Palestinians and their cause. This sentiment has become much stronger and prevalent since October 7th when Hamas, backed by Iran, rampaged border areas inside Israel, killing hundreds of civilians and drawing an Israeli onslaught – which has killed more than 30,0000 in Gaza.

Enraged by the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, students across the US have began organizing pro-Palestinian rallies and sit-ins to pressure their institutions to disclose and divest from funds and corporations that do business with Israel.

“See what is happening in the world,” Iran supreme leader Ali Khamenei posted on X Sunday.” In Western countries, in England and France, and in states across the US itself, people are coming out in huge numbers to chant slogans against Israel and America. US and Israel's reputation has been ruined. They truly have no solution.”

There’s little doubt that pro-Palestinian action has become more pronounced than ever. And there are many in the US who have expressed their displeasure with what they see as ‘heavy-handed’ response by university administration and law enforcement. But Khamenei may be the worst placed leader to address the issue.

The irony, as ordinary Iranians have been pointing out on social media, is hard to miss. It is a case of 'astounding hypocrisy', many say, of a regime who cheers on American students exercising their freedom of expression, while its prisons are humorously called ‘universities’ for hosting sheer numbers of students, graduates, and educators who have dared to speak their mind.

The ruling regime in Iran has a horrendous record in respecting the rights of its citizens. But its treatment of students and of modern, secular education has been particularly poor.

From shutting down universities in the name of Cultural Revolution in the early 1980s, to the bloody attack on dormitories at University of Tehran in the late 1990s, and the siege of Sharif University of Technology in 2022, the clerical regime has proven itself to be an archenemy of free and critical thinking that’s both the cornerstone and ultimate fruit of higher education.

It’s not at all surprising, then, that many Iranians, those with exposure to higher education, in particular, cannot help pointing out the regime’s hypocrisy on social media. “Those responsible for the calamity at the [University of Tehran] dorm, are now worried about American students,” posted an Iranian user on X last Friday –just one of dozens, perhaps hundreds, publicly voicing the same sentiment.