With the company reporting an 87% decline in profits during the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period the previous year, Clerc stated that "the situation in the Middle East and the Red Sea is escalating towards uncertainty."
Additionally, US Central Command destroyed three "Houthi" cruise missiles, which were set to be launched by the Ansar Allah group (the Houthis).
The Foreign Minister of the "Ansar Allah" government, Hisham Sharaf, sent a message to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, asserting that the "US-British aggression" violates international law and the UN Charter. Meanwhile, the leader of the Houthi group in Yemen, Abdul-Malik Badreddin al-Houthi, claimed that Israel, with British and American involvement, is planning to target Rafah to cause a greater catastrophe for the displaced and residents there. Air raids also targeted the Ras Isa area in Al Salif directorate, the largest directorate in Hudaydah, western Yemen.
Jordan's King Abdullah II left the kingdom today on a tour including the United States, Canada, France, and Germany. The royal tour aims to garner international support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, protecting civilians, providing humanitarian aid to the sector adequately, emphasizing the importance of finding a political horizon leading to a comprehensive settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Internationally, in a significant development on the Russo-Ukrainian front, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustam Amrov announced the dismissal of Army Commander General Valery Zaluzhny from his position, before President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed General Oleksandr Syrsky as the new commander of the Ukrainian army.
On the American front, former US President Donald Trump stated that Israel would not have faced this terrible attack without the Biden administration. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, after talks with Israeli officials, harshly criticized the Israeli army's campaign in Gaza. In a stern rebuke to Israel, Blinken warned Tel Aviv that it does not have "license to strip others of their humanity."
In Paris, employees of the Independent Transport Authority (RATP) stormed the authority's office demanding improved working conditions and increased wages.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres observed that there are violations of international laws occurring in Gaza, stressing that it is in Israel's interest to ensure the success of ongoing negotiations with Hamas.
Furthermore, The Guardian reported statements from British intelligence officials, indicating that the risk of a large-scale conflict for Britain has reached its highest levels in recent years.
On another note, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk stated that Israeli strikes destroying homes along the Gaza border amount to war crimes.
On the Russian front, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that Russia will respond harshly to interventions in internal affairs and sabotage activities from abroad to influence the presidential elections. Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Director Sergei Naryshkin also announced contacts with CIA Director William Burns, but did not specify their timing.
