This defensive action took place shortly after the initial strikes against the Houthi rebels, likely within a timeframe of 15 to 30 minutes from the main operation….reports Asian Lite News
Following the second round of joint American-British strikes against Yemeni rebels, the United States swiftly neutralized an imminent threat posed by a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile, as revealed by the Pentagon on Tuesday.
Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder stated that, in an act of self-defense, the U.S. targeted and destroyed the cruise missile, preventing a potential launch that could have posed a serious threat to vessels in the region.
This defensive action took place shortly after the initial strikes against the Houthi rebels, likely within a timeframe of 15 to 30 minutes from the main operation.
On Monday, the US-British coalition struck Houthi camps in Yemen’s capital and other provinces at midnight.
The strikes targetted the al-Hafa camp in eastern Sanaa and the al-Daylami air base in the north. They also hit sites in Rada, a city in the central province of al-Bayda, and Maqbanah area in the southwestern province of Taiz, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said without giving details.
Residents said the explosions were powerful and their sounds could be heard across the city, Xinhua news agency reported.
The strikes came hours after the Houthis said they launched a missile attack at a US military ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday and claimed a direct hit. The US side did not comment on the alleged attack.
The US-Britain maritime coalition in the Red Sea has carried out several airstrikes on Houthi camps in various northern provinces of Yemen. The coalition said these actions are aimed at preventing the Houthi group from launching missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea shipping lane.
The Houthi group vowed to continue targetting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea until Israel ends its war and blockade on Gaza, a Palestinian territory.
Last week, the US re-designated the Houthi group as a global terrorist organisation and said the move would not affect food and medicine supplies to northern Yemen.
Ravindra did not name the Yemeni Houthi rebels who are carrying out the attack or specifically mention the Red Sea around where the incidents have taken place…writes Arul Louis
The spillover of the Israel-Hamas conflict to “the vicinity of India” with attacks on shipping by Houthi rebels has an impact on India’s economic interests, according to Deputy Permanent Representative R. Ravindra.
The conflict’s impact on the safety of commercial shipping in the Indian Ocean “has a direct bearing on India’s own energy and economic interests”, he said on Tuesday at a high-level meeting of the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
He said some of the attacks were happening “in the vicinity of India” and “this fraught situation is not to the benefit of any party, and this must be clearly recognised,” he said.
Ravindra did not name the Yemeni Houthi rebels who are carrying out the attack or specifically mention the Red Sea around where the incidents have taken place.
The Houthi rebels have said that they are attacking ships as an act of solidarity with the Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza.
The Red Sea forms the link for the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean to the Suez Canal, the main link for India and Asia to areas of the Middle East, Europe and beyond.
India’s Navy has said that it was “surging” its presence in the region and earlier this month one of its ships acted to protect a commercial ship under attack.
France, the president of the Security Council for this month, convened the high-level meeting presided over by Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne with the participation of about 15 foreign ministers, including Russia’s Sergey Lavrov and Iran’s Hossein Amirabdollahian.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the situation in the Red Sea is “deeply worrying”.
“Houthi attacks are disrupting global trade”, he said, and “these have been followed by airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom on Houthi positions in Yemen.”
“De-escalation is essential — and all attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea must cease immediately,” he said.
He said that a two-state solution of independent Israel and Palestine living side-by-side is the only way to end the conflict.
Referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of a two-state solution, he said that it was “unacceptable” and noted that it came against “the strongest appeals from even the friends of Israel, including those sitting around this table”.
“It would exacerbate polarisation and embolden extremists everywhere,” he warned.
Guterres said that 1,200 Israelis and others “were killed in the horrific terror attacks launched by Hamas against Israel, with over 250 people taken hostage” at the start of the conflict.
“Nothing can justify deliberate killing, injuring, kidnapping of civilians, the use of sexual violence against them — or the indiscriminate launching of rockets towards civilian targets,” he said.
The counter-operations launched by Israel have “been heartbreaking and catastrophic for Palestinian civilians in Gaza” where more than 25,000 people, mainly women and children, have reportedly been killed”, he said, reiterating his call for a ceasefire.
Ravindra said that India has “strongly condemned the death of civilians” in the Israel-Hamas conflict which has led to “an alarming humanitarian crisis”.
“There can be no justification for terrorism and hostage-taking,” he said.
India “has a long-standing and uncompromising position against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”, he said.
Ravindra said that India reiterates “the demand for their immediate and unconditional release” of all hostages taken by Hamas.
He reiterated India’s backing for a two-state solution “where the Palestinian people are able to live freely in an independent country within secure borders with due regard to the security needs of Israel”.
That is the only way for “an enduring peace that the people of Israel and Palestine desire and deserve”, he said.
US Under Secretary of State Uzra Zeya said that President Joe Biden believes that a two-state solution is “the only path to a durable peace, as well as the only guarantor of a secure and democratic Israel”.
Zeya, who is of Indian descent and the highest-ranking Muslim in the Stage Department, said, “A stronger, reformed and revitalised Palestinian Authority that can more effectively deliver for its own people in both the West Bank and Gaza must also be part of the equation”.
Strongly denouncing the Hamas assault on Israel, she said that “we lament” that Russia, which has veto powers, has blocked efforts in the Council to condemn the Hamas terrorist attack..
Facing a tide of criticism of Israel, some of that directed against the US, Zeya also had strong words for Israelis.
“We continue to convey to Israeli leaders that they need to do more to protect civilians and take feasible precautions to minimize civilian harm, in line with international humanitarian law,” she said.
She said the US is “deeply troubled” by the “unprecedented levels of violence by extremist settlers” from Israel and “we condemn killings of Palestinian civilians and we urge Israel to prevent and investigate settler violence, as well as hold perpetrators accountable”.
Outlining the calamitous outcomes of the Israeli attacks on Gaza, Palestine’s Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said, “There are two choices — a spreading fire or a ceasefire”.
He asked that Palestine should be made a full member of the UN, upgraded from its present observer status that does not give it a vote in the General Assembly.
That was echoed by several ministers.
Malaysia Foreign Minister Mohamad Hassan said Palestine should no longer be treated as a “second-class citizen”.
Israel’s Gilad Erdan said that the UN was ineffective in dealing with the problems of the Middle East, offering “aspirin for cancer” instead of going to the root cause of the malaise.
He said “Israelis will face another attempted Holocaust” from the cease-fire demanded by some Council members as it will enable Hamas to regroup and rearm.
US media reported that the US and Britain carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen late Monday, the eighth round of attacks on the rebels’ camps in just over 10 days…reports Asian Lite News
The US-British coalition struck Houthi camps in Yemen’s capital and other provinces at midnight, the media reported on Tuesday.
The strikes targetted the al-Hafa camp in eastern Sanaa and the al-Daylami air base in the north. They also hit sites in Rada, a city in the central province of al-Bayda, and Maqbanah area in the southwestern province of Taiz, the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV said without giving details.
Residents said the explosions were powerful and their sounds could be heard across the city, Xinhua news agency reported.
Meanwhile, US media reported that the US and Britain carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen late Monday, the eighth round of attacks on the rebels’ camps in just over 10 days.
The strikes came hours after the Houthis said they launched a missile attack at a US military ship in the Gulf of Aden on Monday and claimed a direct hit. The US side did not comment on the alleged attack.
The US-Britain maritime coalition in the Red Sea has carried out several airstrikes on Houthi camps in various northern provinces of Yemen. The coalition said these actions are aimed at preventing the Houthi group from launching missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea shipping lane.
The Houthi group vowed to continue targetting ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea until Israel ends its war and blockade on Gaza, a Palestinian territory.
Last week, the US re-designated the Houthi group as a global terrorist organisation and said the move would not affect food and medicine supplies to northern Yemen.
The White House confirmed in a statement that this was the fourth preemptive action taken by the US military amid boiling tensions in the Red Sea.
The United States carried out a fresh round of attack against the Houthi rebels in Yemen destroying three anti-ship missiles in the Red Sea.
The White House confirmed in a statement that this was the fourth preemptive action taken by the US military amid boiling tensions in the Red Sea.
“This morning, US forces conducted three successful self-defence strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. This is the fourth preemptive action that the US military has taken in the past,” White House said in a statement on Friday.
The US Central Command informed that the attack was carried out at around 6:45 pm (Sanaa time) after the anti-ship missiles “presented an imminent threat” to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region.
“As part of ongoing efforts to protect freedom of navigation and prevent attacks on maritime vessels, US Navy ships are present in the Red Sea. On Jan. 19 at approximately 6:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), US Central Command forces conducted strikes against three Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch,” the US Central Command posted on X.
“US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region. US forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defense. This action will make international waters safe and secure for US navy vessels and merchant vessels,” it added.
U.S. CENTCOM Destroys Three Houthi Terrorists' Anti-Ship Missiles
As part of ongoing efforts to protect freedom of navigation and prevent attacks on maritime vessels, U.S. Navy ships are present in the Red Sea. On Jan. 19 at approximately 6:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central… pic.twitter.com/vPYUaIvvA5
Earlier on Thursday, Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at US Ship Chem Ranger, but no injury or damage was reported, US Central Command said.
Prior to this, the US forces had launched strikes on 14 Houthi missiles “that were loaded to be fired in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen” on Thursday.
US called the attack its ongoing multi-national efforts to protect freedom of navigation and prevent attacks on US and partner maritime traffic in the Red Sea on January 17 at approximately 11:59 p.m. (Sanaa time).
Notably, the US redesignated the Yemeni group as a “terrorist” organisation in response to its continuing attacks and threats to shipping and imposed sanctions on it. The designation does not go into effect for 30 days.
The Houthis said the designation will not affect its operations to prevent Israeli ships or vessels heading to Israel from crossing the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The Houthis, who support the Palestinian armed group Hamas, launched their attacks in response to Israel’s war on Gaza. Their strikes have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major world powers, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
The Navy once again came to the rescue of a cargo vessel with 22, including nine Indians onboard, which came under attack by drones in the Gulf of Aden.
The Navy received a distress call, and soon after the warship INS Visakhapatnam intercepted the vessel and provided the assistance.
The Indian Navy informed that its Guided Missile Destroyer INS Visakhapatnam mission deployed in Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations, “swiftly responded to a distress call by Marshall Island flagged MV Genco Picardy following a drone attack at 2311 hours on January 17 and intercepted the MV at 0030 hrs on 1January 18 to provide assistance”.
MV Genco Picardy with 22 crew, including nine Indians, reported nil casualties and fire under control, said officials.
After intercepting the vessel, MV Genco Picardy, bomb experts from INS Visakhapatnam boarded the ship to inspect the damaged area. “Specialists, after a thorough inspection, have rendered the area safe for further transit. The vessel is proceeding to the next port of call,” Navy said.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over Houthi militants stepping up attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues. Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar has issued instructions to firmly deal with such maritime incidents.
On January 4 also Indian Navy’s Mission Deployed platforms responded swiftly to a maritime incident in Arabian Sea involving a hijacking attempt onboard Liberia Flagged bulk carrier.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that the vessel had sent a message on the UKMTO portal indicating boarding by approximately five to six unknown armed personnel in the evening. Responding swiftly to the developing situation, the Indian Navy launched a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) and diverted INS Chennai deployed for Maritime Security Operations to assist the vessel, officials added.
The aircraft overflew the vessel on early morning of January 5 and established contact with the vessel, ascertaining the Safety of the crew, the MoD officials added.
According to the MoD, India has increased maritime surveillance in the Arabian Sea. The Indian Navy has deployed 10 warships here in view of the incidents of piracy and kidnapping. The Navy has doubled the number of warships here within the last few days. Navy helicopters have also been deployed on the warships.
Houthi Rebels Claim Responsibility for Missile Attack on US Ship
Yemen’s Houthi group on Friday claimed responsibility for carrying out a missile attack on a US ship in the Gulf of Aden.
“The naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces (Houthis) carried out an attack targetting a US ship (Chem Ranger) in the Gulf of Aden with several appropriate naval missiles, and the hit was accurate,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement telecasted by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV as quoted by Xinhua news agency report.
US military says no injuries or damage caused by anti-ship cruise missile fired towards USS Laboon
The United States military has shot down a missile fired at one of its vessels by Iran-backed Houthis, officials have said, in the first known attack on US forces by the rebel group since Washington began its latest air strikes on Yemen.
A US fighter aircraft shot down the anti-ship cruise missile after it was fired from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen towards the USS Laboon in the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday.
“The missile was shot down in vicinity of the coast of Hodeida by US fighter aircraft,” CENTCOM said. “There were no injuries or damage reported.”
The attack is the first to be acknowledged by the US since Washington and its allies on Friday began launching air and cruise missile strikes on Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, which have yet to acknowledge the latest incident, have carried out repeated attacks on cargo ships that the group says are linked to Israel, in a show of support for Palestinians under Israeli bombardment in Gaza.
At least 26 vessels have been attacked by the Houthis since they seized the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader vessel in November.
The attacks have forced some of the world’s largest shipping operators to redirect their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope on the southern tip of Africa, severely disrupting global trade.
On Jan. 14 at approximately 4:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), an anti-ship cruise missile was fired from Iranian-backed Houthi militant areas of Yemen toward USS Laboon (DDG 58), which was operating in the Southern Red Sea. The missile was shot down in vicinity of the coast of Hudaydah by… pic.twitter.com/jftZHQhA2e
Traffic through the Red Sea, which normally facilitates the movement of $3bn-$9bn worth of cargo each day, has dropped by more than 40 percent since the start of the attacks.
Earlier on Sunday, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam accused the US of violating national sovereignty by flying aircraft close to Yemeni airspace and coastal areas, although it is not clear if the two incidents were linked.
Meanwhile, Houthis’ spokesperson said that US strikes on Yemen had no significant impact on its capabilities. Houthis will continue to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, Mohammed Abdulsalam told news agency Reuters following the latest strike on a military base in Sanaa. Another Yemen’s Houthi group Ansarullah’s official told Al Jazeera that there were no injuries in the strike and the group has vowed a “strong and effective” response. “There were no injuries, no material nor human losses,” Nasruldeen Amer said.
The first day of U.S.-led strikes Friday hit 28 locations and struck more than 60 targets with cruise missiles and bombs launched by fighter jets, warships and a submarine. Sites hit included weapon depots, radars and command centers, including in remote mountain areas, the U.S. has said.
The Houthis have yet to acknowledge how severe the damage was from the strikes, which they said killed five of their troops and wounded six others.
U.S. forces followed up with a strike Saturday on a Houthi radar site.
Shipping through the Red Sea has slowed over the attacks. The U.S. Navy on Friday warned American-flagged vessels to steer clear of areas around Yemen in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for 72 hours after the initial airstrikes.
For their part, the Houthis alleged without providing evidence that the U.S. struck a site near Hodeida on Sunday around the same time of the cruise missile fire. The Americans and the United Kingdom did not acknowledge conducting any strike — suggesting the blast may have been from a misfiring Houthi missile.
Since November, the rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, saying they were avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. But they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, imperiling shipping in a key route for global trade.
Though the Biden administration and its allies have tried to calm tensions in the Middle East for weeks and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one.
Saudi Arabia, which supports the Yemeni government-in-exile that the Houthis are fighting, sought to distance itself from the attacks on Houthi sites as it tries to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen. The Saudi-led, U.S.-backed war in Yemen that began in 2015 has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters, killing tens of thousands more.
The American military did not specifically say the fire targeted the Laboon, following a pattern by the U.S. since the Houthi attacks began. However, U.S. sailors have received combat ribbons for their actions in the Red Sea— something handed out only to those who face active hostilities with an enemy force.
Not just Ukraine, a looming oil disaster in Red Sea is keeping Washington on tenterhooks.(photo:IN)
Washington claimed that Iranian intelligence was crucial for enabling Yemen’s Houthi movement to target maritime vessels….reports Asian Lite News
The White House has accused Iran of playing a significant role in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, asserting that Iranian intelligence was crucial for enabling Yemen’s Houthi movement to target maritime vessels.
In a statement on Friday, Adrienne Watson, the White House national security spokesperson, emphasised that there was no evidence to suggest that Iran was attempting to discourage the Houthis from their alleged reckless behaviour, according to Reuters report.
Simultaneously, vessel tracking data revealed that at least two ships, involved in transporting oil or oil products from the US Gulf Coast to India, were rerouting away from the Red Sea. This strategic shift came as a US-led coalition prepared to safeguard vessels from potential attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militants. The Iran-backed Houthis, claiming support for Palestinians under siege in the Gaza Strip, have employed drones and missiles to attack commercial shipping, compelling vessels to alter courses and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa.
One such vessel, the Aigeorgis, chartered by BP to transport vacuum gasoil (VGO) from India’s Jamnagar to Texas, shifted its course along Africa’s East Coast toward the Cape of Good Hope. This redirection, prompted by security concerns, added nine days to the journey between India and the US Gulf Coast. VGO, a refining feedstock for gasoline and diesel production, had historically been shipped through the Red Sea by BP.
Equinor, another major player in the shipping industry, chartered the Sonangol Cabinda to carry crude oil from Texas to India. This vessel executed a 180-degree turn in the middle of the Red Sea, altering its course through the Suez Canal towards the Mediterranean.
The US-led naval coalition, involving 20 countries, was announced last week to protect commercial traffic in the Red Sea. However, some participating countries are yet to confirm their involvement, and operational details remain unclear. Shippers, facing uncertainty, have adjusted routes and paused activities involving transit through the region.
The Houthi attacks have disrupted shipping routes, overwhelming African ports with increased maritime traffic. Rising war risk premiums for tankers traveling via the Red Sea have led charterers to consider the longer route around the Cape of Good Hope as a more viable option. Multiple tankers departing from ports east of Suez have also altered courses to avoid the Red Sea, reflecting the complex challenges faced by the shipping industry in the region, it was reported.
Earlier, Yemen’s Houthi leader has warned that his group would attack US ships in the Middle East if Washington waged war against the Iranian-backed militia. “We will not stand idly by if the Americans escalate further and commit foolishness by targeting or waging war against us due to our support for the Hamas movement,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi said on Wednesday in a televised speech aired by Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.
“If the US targets us, we will then retaliate by targeting US battleships and interests in the region with our missiles, drones, and military operations,” he warned. The threat by the Houthi leader came after the US announced on Monday a 10-nation coalition to quell Houthi missile and drone attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea, Xinhua news agency reported.
Britain, France and Italy are among the US-led multinational military coalition.
Houthi rebels have escalated and pledged to continue attacks on Israel-linked commercial ships passing through the Red Sea and Arab Sea, demanding an end to Israel’s aggression on the Gaza Strip and the delivery of food and medicine supplies to the enclave.
The Houthis control large swathes of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic port city of Hodeidah on the coast of the Red Sea, where up to 12 per cent of world trade passes through.
Maritime Alert: Somali Pirates Strike After Decade
A British sea trade monitoring agency reported the hijacking of a dhow trading vessel near the town of Eyl off the coast of Somalia, indicating a resurgence of Somali pirate activity after nearly a decade of relative calm. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations cited military authorities as the source of the information and confirmed that the vessel was seized by heavily armed individuals. The agency has initiated an investigation, although no details about the identity of the hijackers have been provided.
In a separate incident, the European Union’s Naval Force reported the hijacking of a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel, the bulk carrier Ruen, in the Arabian Sea. The vessel, with 18 crew members on board, was seized near the Yemeni island of Socotra, around 240 kilometers off the Somali coast. One crew member was evacuated for medical care on an Indian navy ship, and suspicion has fallen on Somali pirates for this hijacking, although the hijackers’ identity and demands remain unknown.
Recent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen have also contributed to maritime concerns. The Houthis initially targeted Israeli-linked vessels over the Israel-Hamas war, but their attacks escalated, impacting ships without clear ties. The Pentagon, last month, revealed that five armed assailants who hijacked a commercial ship near Yemen were likely Somalis, emphasizing the piracy-related nature of the incident.
In response to the escalating threats, Somalia’s maritime police have intensified patrols. While attacks by Somali pirates peaked between 2010 and 2015, reaching over 350 incidents, international naval patrols had contributed to a significant decline in such incidents. The recent hijackings raise concerns about a potential resurgence of piracy in the region.
Saudi blacklists 25 individuals entities over financing Houthis
The spokesman claimed that Houthis had successfully prevented the passage of several other Israel-bound foreign ships during the past 48 hours….reports Asian Lite News
The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has claimed a drone attack on an Israel-bound cargo ship in the Red Sea, amid increasing tensions in the region since the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7.
“The military operation against the Mersik Gebrlater container vessel that was heading to Israel was precise and caused damage to the ship,” Xinhua news agency quoted Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea as saying in a statement late Thursday.
“The attack came after the ship’s crew refused to respond to the call of our naval forces,” he said.
The spokesman claimed that Houthis had successfully prevented the passage of several other Israel-bound foreign ships during the past 48 hours.
“Our forces will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from navigating in the Arab Sea and the Red Sea unless food and medicine aid be allowed to enter into Gaza Strip,” Sarea added.
This was the latest in a series of anti-Israel attacks claimed by the Houthis since October 7..
On Tuesday, the militia group said they launched a missile at a Norwegian ship loaded with oil that was heading to Israel in the Red Sea.
On November 19, the Houthi fighters hijacked a commercial ship, Galaxy Leader, in the Red Sea and brought it to the port city of Hodeidah.
The Houthis have been in control of much of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa and the strategic Red Sea port city of Hodeidah since the Yemeni civil war broke out in late 2014.
The Houthis have recently attacked ships they claim have direct links to Israel, but their latest threat expands the scope of their targets…reports Asian Lite News
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels threatened on Saturday to attack any vessels heading to Israeli ports unless food and medicine were allowed into the besieged Gaza Strip.
The latest warning comes amid heightened tensions in the Red Sea and surrounding waters following a series of maritime attacks by Houthi rebels since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
In a statement posted on social media, the Houthis said they “will prevent the passage of ships heading to the Zionist entity” if humanitarian aid is not allowed into Hamas-ruled Gaza.
The Houthis have recently attacked ships they claim have direct links to Israel, but their latest threat expands the scope of their targets.
Regardless of which flag ships sail under or the nationality of their owners or operators, Israel-bound vessels “will become a legitimate target for our armed forces,” the statement said.
Israel’s national security adviser, Tzachi Hanegbi, said his country would not accept the “naval siege,” noting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had asked US President Joe Biden and European leaders to take measures to address the situation.
“If the world will not take care of it,” Hanegbi warned on Israel’s Channel 12 television, “we will take action to remove the naval siege.”
Last week, the Houthis attacked two ships off the Yemeni coast, including a Bahamas-flagged vessel, claiming they were Israeli-owned.
And last month, the rebel forces seized the Galaxy Leader, an Israeli-linked cargo vessel.
“We warn all ships and companies against dealing with Israeli ports,” the latest Houthi statement said.
It added that all “ships linked to Israel or that will transport goods to Israeli ports” are not welcome in the Red Sea, a vital channel for global trade linked to the Suez Canal.
Beyond maritime attacks, the Houthis have launched a series of drone and missile strikes targeting Israel since the deadly attacks by Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered all-out war.
The militants poured over the border into Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and kidnapping about 240 others, according to Israeli officials.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas, and launched a military offensive in Gaza that has killed at least 17,700 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
The spike in maritime incidents prompted G7 foreign ministers at a meeting earlier this month to urge the rebels to cease threats to international shipping and to release the Galaxy Leader.
Residents watch columns of smoke at a military camp controlled by the Houthis following the Saudi-led coalition airstrike in the capital Sanaa, Yemen on Dec. 1, 2021. (Photo by Mohamed Azaki/Xinhua/IANS)
On November 19, the Houthi forces detained a commercial ship in the Red Sea and took it to Hodeidah, the Yemeni strategic Red Sea port currently under the Houthis’ control…reports Asian Lite News
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have vowed to resume missile attacks on Israel and hijack Israeli ships in the Red Sea, if Israel resumes fighting in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza Strip.
“We confirm our full readiness to resume military operations against the Israeli enemy if it decides to resume its aggression against Gaza,” Yehya Sarea, the Houthi military spokesman, was quoted on Thursday as saying by the al-Masirah TV.
The Houthi forces “will not hesitate to expand attacks against the Israeli entity to include targets that Israel may not expect on land or at sea,” he said.
“We continue to prevent Israeli ships in the Red Sea and we will take further measures to ensure the full implementation of this decision,” the spokesman added.
The Houthi threat came hours ahead of the expected expiration of the one-week humanitarian truce between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during which the two sides swapped hostages for prisoners, Xinhua news agency reported.
The Houthi armed group has carried out several cross-border missile and drone attacks toward Israeli cities and Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out on October 7.
On November 19, the Houthi forces detained a commercial ship in the Red Sea and took it to Hodeidah, the Yemeni strategic Red Sea port currently under the Houthis’ control.
On Wednesday, the G7 foreign ministers issued a statement calling on the Houthi militia “to immediately cease attacks on civilians and threats to international shipping lanes and commercial vessels and release the M/V Galaxy Leader and its crew, illegally seized from international waters on November 19”.
Israel has vowed to resume airstrikes and a ground offensive in Gaza after the end of the temporary truce, which started last Friday and has been extended for three days to facilitate the swap of more hostages for prisoners. Israel agreed to extend the ceasefire for one day if Hamas frees 10 more hostages in exchange for about 30 Palestinian prisoners held in Israel.
