Yemen’s Houthi rebels also announce ‘underwater weapons’ as their leader vows to continue attacks amid Gaza war.
Yemen’s Houthis say they have “banned” ships linked to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom from sailing in surrounding seas, as rebels seek to strengthen their military campaign, which they say supports the Palestinians in Gaza.
The Houthis’ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center on Thursday sent formal ban notices to maritime insurers and companies operating in the region, Reuters news agency cited a statement as saying.
The Houthis’ communication, the first to the shipping industry and outlining a formal ban in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, came in the form of two notices, it said. Reuters.
It concerns vessels owned in whole or in part by Israeli, American and British persons or entities, as well as those sailing under their flags.
The warning comes amid continued Houthi attacks that have disrupted international trade on the shortest sea route between Europe and Asia, and counterattacks by U.S. and British forces hoping to deter the rebels.
The Iran-aligned Houthis have launched repeated attacks on shipping in the region since November.
They said the attacks were a response to Israeli military operations in Gaza, which killed nearly 30,000 people in four months. They vowed to continue their solidarity campaign with the Palestinians until Israel ends the war.
On Thursday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi also said the group had introduced “underwater weapons” into its attacks.
“Operations in the Red and Oman Seas, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and in the Gulf of Aden continue, are intensifying and are effective,” he added in a televised speech.
The Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa and much of northern Yemen in 2014. A Saudi-led coalition supported the Yemeni government militarily in the ensuing conflict, but the Houthis continued to maintain their control and have gained strength and military capabilities. .
Continued attacks
The Houthi attacks have disrupted international trade along a route that accounts for about 15% of global maritime traffic.
Several shipping companies have rerouted their ships to the southern tip of Africa, delaying delivery times and adding an additional 3,000 to 3,500 nautical miles (5,500 to 6,500 km) to their route.
In response to these attacks, American and British forces began launching air raids on Yemen in January. The United States has also reclassified the Houthis as a “terrorist” group. But the attacks show no signs of slowing down.
On Thursday, the US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it carried out four “self-defense” raids against the Houthis, destroying seven anti-ship cruise missiles, a mobile ballistic missile launcher and a drone that it said came from areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.
CENTCOM separately said one person was injured after two Houthi missiles hit a British cargo ship in the Red Sea, and added that the United States had previously shot down six Houthi drones in the Red Sea, identified as imminent threats to American and allied warships. .
Meanwhile, the French navy shot down two drones over the Red Sea, the Defense Ministry said.
The navy, which has two frigates deployed in the area, detected a threat during the night from Wednesday to Thursday and “destroyed two drones”, it specifies. Earlier this week, it shot down two more drones overnight from Monday to Tuesday.
On Monday, the European Union officially launched a naval mission to protect ships in the Red Sea against the Houthis.