Houthis Claim Responsibility for Attack on Cargo Ship in the Gulf of Aden

The Houthi movement in Yemen on Wednesday claimed responsibility for targeting a cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, saying the vessel had violated the ban on entering Israeli ports.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a statement: “In response to the crimes of genocide and starvation committed by the Zionist enemy against our brothers in the Gaza Strip, and as confirmation of the continued ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, the naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation targeting the vessel Minerva Jracht, whose owning company violated the decision banning entry into the ports of occupied Palestine.”

The statement added: “The operation was carried out in the Gulf of Aden with a cruise missile. The vessel was directly hit, causing a fire on board, and it is now at risk of sinking.”

The Houthis’ claim comes only hours after they announced the termination of their agreement with the United States to halt attacks on American interests in the Red Sea and surrounding region.

The group also declared that it had placed 13 American companies on its “target list,” including several oil firms and a shipping company, in retaliation for U.S. Treasury sanctions imposed on Houthi entities and leaders.

Back in May, the United States and the Houthis had signed an agreement that included halting attacks on American vessels and easing tensions in the Red Sea.