New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon said the deployment is a continuation of the country's long history of defending freedom of navigation, both in the Middle East and closer to home.
The attack took place shortly after 11 pm on 17 January. INS Visakhapatnam was diverted to the distressed ship and declared the area safe for further transit after a thorough inspection.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi calls for 'timetable & road map' for implementation of two-state solution amid rising attacks in Red Sea which has impacted commercial trade ships.
Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi blamed US for violating international law. UNSC Wednesday endorsed a U.S.-led task force that has been defending vessels in the Red Sea.
For the moment, Israel's conflict in Gaza provides enough legitimacy to deploy substantial peacekeeping forces through the Red Sea, but the model is unsustainable.
Grey-zone attacks, like the one on India-bound merchant vessel MV Chem Pluto, are difficult for democratic nations to respond to. There is always the risk of escalation.
The Iran-backed Houthi militants of Yemen have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea — a gateway to the trade-critical Suez Canal. This has a direct bearing on India’s energy security.
With Red Sea, critical to enter and exit Suez Canal, under attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, exporters are having to pay more than double to send goods to Middle East, Europe & US.
The last time this matter flared up was when Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, in a very similar directive in April, called for the relocation of stray dogs in the capital.
Finance ministry says the proposed revamp will focus on structural reforms, rate rationalisation & ease of living, & will be deliberated upon in the coming weeks.
The project is meant to be a ‘protective shield that will keep expanding’, the PM said. It is on the lines of the ‘Golden Dome’ announced by Trump, it is learnt.
Now that both IAF and PAF have made formal claims of having shot down the other’s aircraft in the 87-hour war in May, we can ask a larger question: do such numbers really matter?
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