Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels vowed on Tuesday they would not stop attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea, even as the United States announced a new alliance to defend the seas.
“Even if America manages to mobilize the whole world, our military operations will not stop (…), no matter what sacrifices we have to make,” rebel leader Mohammed al-Buhaiti assured in a message published on the social network X (formerly Twitter). .
Al-Buhaiti said the attacks would only be stopped “if Israel stops its crimes and food, medicine and fuel start flowing to the trapped population” in the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi leader’s statement came after US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced on Monday a 10-nation coalition to prevent Houthi missile and drone attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea.
“The recent escalation of reckless attacks by Yemen’s Houthis threatens the free flow of commerce, puts the lives of innocent sailors at risk and violates international law,” the Pentagon chief said Monday.
The alliance, dubbed Operation Prosperity Sentinel, includes the United States, Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, Austin said.
Yemeni rebels have launched a series of drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea in response to Israeli bombing in the Gaza Strip.
On Monday they claimed responsibility for an attack on two ships in the Red Sea, including the Norwegian M/T Swan Atlantic.
Shipping giants have abandoned the entry and exit point to the Red Sea, the strategic Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates the Arabian Peninsula from Africa and through which 40% of global trade passes.
Last week, International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Kitak Lim called on member states to take joint action against maritime terrorism.
“Recent reports of threats to commercial shipping in the Red Sea are extremely alarming and unacceptable. Commercial shipping should never become a collateral casualty of geopolitical conflicts,” the leader of the UN body said in a statement sent to Lusa.
“Any attack on commercial shipping is contrary to international maritime law, including laws that protect freedom,” said the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
Advocating that “ships, cargo and seafarers must always be protected,” Kitak Lim called on states to work together “to ensure safe and unhindered global shipping everywhere, as a prerequisite for maintaining global supply chains.”
The Houthis, who control Yemen’s capital and other regions, are part of what they call an “axis of resistance” against Israel, along with groups such as the Islamic resistance movement Hamas and Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah.
The war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, when the Islamist group suddenly and with unprecedented force attacked Israel, killing 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages, according to Tel Aviv authorities.
Israel responded by bombing Gaza and blocking the entry of essential goods such as water, medicine and fuel.
Although both sides agreed to a truce for several days to allow for a prisoner exchange and access to humanitarian aid, Palestinian authorities say more than 15,000 people have died on their side.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.