Cuba slams US for pressing countries to abstain from UNGA vote on lifting blockade

Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Wednesday accused the United States of swaying an upcoming UN General Assembly vote on ending the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade against Cuba by putting pressure on other countries.

The UN General Assembly will consider and vote on the draft resolution "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba" on Oct 27-28, the 34th time it has taken up the issue. For years, the resolution has been supported by the majority of the international community.

At a press conference in the capital Havana on Wednesday, Rodriguez condemned the U.S. government's pressure on other countries in an attempt to influence the General Assembly vote.

"Although some countries have firmly supported this resolution for decades, the United States has asked them to abstain or simply leave the hall and not vote this year. It's absurd," he said.

Rodriguez said the U.S. State Department is pressuring other countries through threats of punitive tariffs, suspension of cooperation projects, visa refusals and sanctions, seeking to change the voting positions of many delegations that support Cuba. He said U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has personally joined the pressure campaign.

Rodriguez said this new and dangerous approach to multilateral diplomacy shows that Washington knows it lacks legitimacy and has no strength left but to resort to power politics.

He also condemned an arrest warrant issued by the U.S. state of Florida for former Cuban President Raul Castro.

"The U.S. side's issuance of an arrest warrant against Cuban Revolution leader, Army General Raul Castro Ruz, is a despicable and futile act with no legal significance and no moral legitimacy. As President Miguel Diaz-Canel said recently, it will have no practical effect," he said.

Cuba slams US for pressing countries to abstain from UNGA vote on lifting blockade

Cuba slams US for pressing countries to abstain from UNGA vote on lifting blockade

The navy of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Thursday that it had struck four "violating" ships in the Persian Gulf in recent hours, while three other "offending" vessels caught fire after hitting naval mines west of the Strait of Hormuz Wednesday night.

The four targeted ships, which had crossed an "illegal" route in the strait, were detected and hit in the northern central Gulf while engaged in a ship-to-ship transfer of oil cargoes, the navy said in a statement released by the IRGC's official news outlet Sepah News.

All four vessels were targeted simultaneously and set on fire, it said, adding that maritime companies had been warned against crossing "illegal" routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

The navy said the three vessels that struck naval mines the previous night caught fire and were forced to stop.

It added that the U.S. government's insistence on inciting ships to pass through the "illegal and mined" route had led to a daily increase in maritime incidents, warning that if the U.S. military continues to do this, the confrontation could extend to its bases in the region.

The navy said its forces still manage and control the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

Iranian military says seven "violating" vessels caught fire in waters around Hormuz Strait