Yemen’s Houthi naval forces renew warning for Israeli ships in Red Sea
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Houthi naval forces renewed a warning to ships in the Red Sea flying the Israeli flag, managed by Israeli companies or owned by Israelis. The group declared its intent to persist in military operations against Israeli ships and interests until Israel’s “aggression against Gaza stops.”
The statement warned any military units providing protection to Israeli ships, stating that they would be considered legitimate targets for Houthi operations. Furthermore, the naval forces cautioned all companies and merchants against engaging in shipping their goods or interests with Israeli vessels, emphasizing potential repercussions.
According to the statement, the Houthi naval forces called upon all ships traversing the Red Sea to steer clear of Israeli vessels and explicitly advised against disabling identification devices.
Cargo ship seized: On Sunday, the Israeli military said a cargo ship had been hijacked in the southern Red Sea. The Galaxy Leader cargo ship was hijacked by the Houthis in the Red Sea on Sunday with about 25 crew members on board. It is operated by the Japanese shipping and logistics company Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) Line, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Monday. Japan is currently working with Israel and has requested Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran to urge the Houthis to release the ship and crew as soon as possible.
The United States demands “the immediate release” of the cargo ship and crew seized by the Houthis in the Red Sea, State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said Monday.
More background: The Israeli military said late last month that it had thwarted an aerial attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. On October 19, a US warship near the coast of Yemen also shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones over a period of nine hours as they were heading north along the Red Sea, according to a US official familiar with the situation. Their trajectory left little doubt that the projectiles were headed for Israel, the official said.
Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said the missiles were fired by the Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and were launched “potentially toward targets in Israel.” US interceptions of Houthi launches are exceedingly rare.
Iran, despite decades of draconian US-inspired sanctions, has continued to provide training and arms to the Houthis in Yemen, as well as the Syrian regime, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza.