Yemen’s Houthi movement declared on Saturday that it would strike all ships bound for Israel, regardless of nationality, and advised all foreign shipping corporations to avoid interacting with Israeli ports.
Amid a horrific confrontation between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, the Iran-aligned group is heightening the chances of a regional conflict.
The Houthis have assaulted and taken control of multiple Israeli-linked ships in the Red Maritime and its Bab al-Mandab strait, a maritime passage through which much of the world’s oil is moved, and have fired ballistic missiles and armed drones against Israel.
Houthi authorities claim their acts are in support of Palestinians.
Attacks against ships, according to Israel, were an Iranian act of terrorism with implications for international maritime security.
In a statement, a Houthi military spokesperson stated that all ships traveling to Israeli ports are barred from the Red and Arabian Seas.
“If Gaza does not receive the food and medicine it needs, all ships in the Red Sea bound for Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, will become a target for our armed forces”, the spokesperson continued.
“The threat has an immediate effect”, the statement reads.
The Houthis are one of numerous factions in Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’ that have been targeting Israeli and US targets since October 7, when Hamas militants assaulted Israel.
In one of the most recent episodes, three commercial vessels were attacked in international waters last week, requiring an intervention by a US Navy destroyer.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen and the Red Sea coast, also captured a British-owned cargo ship with ties to an Israeli enterprise last month.
The US and Britain have condemned the shipping strikes, accusing Iran of its involvement in assisting the Houthis. Tehran claims that its partners make their own decisions.
Saudi Arabia has requested the United States to exercise moderation in responding to the strikes.
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