Houthis expand threats to ban all ships heading to Israel
A French frigate in the Red Sea downs two drones heading towards it from Yemen, in the latest targeting amid escalating operations in the Red Sea and surrounding waters
The Houthis have escalated their threats to navigation in the Red Sea by announcing the prohibition of the passage of ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, “unless they enter the Gaza Strip with their food and medicine needs.” Meanwhile, U.S. officials urge the White House to deter the Houthis.
Hours after this threat was issued on Saturday, the French Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that one of its frigates in the Red Sea had downed two drones heading towards it from Yemen.
Houthi airstrikes impact global maritime trade as the Bab el Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and the Strait of Hormuz play a vital role in the global energy market and transportation sector.
In a statement, the French multi-mission frigate “Languedoc” intercepted and destroyed the two specified threats on Saturday night. The interception took place 110 kilometers off the country’s coast near the city of Hodeidah (north), controlled by the Houthis.
This targeting, not yet claimed by the Houthis, is the latest in a series of operations witnessed in the Red Sea and surrounding waters since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
The Houthis, close to Iran, have claimed responsibility for previous operations, including the seizure of a commercial ship and launching missiles and drones towards maritime targets and the southern Israeli city of Eilat. They affirmed that these attacks would continue until “Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people ceases.”
On Saturday evening, the Houthi military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, released a statement on the Al-Masirah platform, saying, “The Yemeni armed forces announce the prohibition of the passage of ships heading to the Zionist entity of any nationality unless it enters the Gaza Strip with its food and medicine needs.”
Recently, the Houthis targeted ships they claim are linked to Israel. However, their Saturday threat extends to all ships heading to Israel.
Last week, the Houthis attacked two ships off the Yemeni coast, claiming they were Israeli, with one flying the flag of the Bahamas. The month before, they seized the cargo ship “Galaxy Leader” associated with an Israeli businessman.
The Yemeni statement warned “all ships and companies” against dealing with Israeli ports, emphasizing non-interference “with all ships and countries except those associated with the Israeli or those that will transport goods to Israeli ports.”
Responding to the threat, Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi emphasized on Saturday his country’s rejection of the “maritime blockade.” He noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had requested action from U.S. President Joe Biden and European leaders to address the situation.
Hanegbi warned via Israel’s Channel 12, “If the world does not care, we will move to lift the maritime blockade.”
Hamas praised the announcement, stating in a release, “We appreciate the decision of our brothers in Yemen to prevent the passage of Zionist ships, and all ships heading to the Zionist entity, regardless of their nationality, unless they enter Gaza with their food and medicine needs.”
Hamas considered this decision brave and bold, supporting the blood of our people in Gaza and standing against the Zionist-American aggression that persists in the genocidal war. It called on Arab and Islamic countries to take action “to break the siege on Gaza.”
Washington previously announced that a U.S. destroyer had downed three drones while providing support to commercial ships in the Red Sea targeted by attacks from Yemen, condemning a “direct threat” to maritime security.
In addition to targeting ships, the Houthis launch strikes with missiles and drones towards southern Israel, claiming to have hit their targets. However, Tel Aviv often asserts interception of these projectiles.
Houthi threats to maritime navigation have drawn criticism from Western parties. At the end of last month, foreign ministers of the G7 countries called on the Houthis to “stop immediately” threatening maritime transport and release the crew of the detained ship “Galaxy Leader.”
The U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking would head to the Gulf region to continue U.S. diplomatic efforts and regional coordination to protect maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden amid Houthi and Iranian attacks on international shipping lanes.
Retired General Frank McKenzie, former commander of the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East, and other former senior military officials emphasized that President Joe Biden’s administration must respond more forcefully to attacks targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea. They express concern about the “provocation of Iran.”
McKenzie stated in an interview published by Politico on Friday that Iran considered the lack of a strong U.S. military response to recent escalations in Houthi attacks a “green light” for its aggressive behavior.
Senior U.S. officials, including former commander of the Fifth Fleet John Miller, said Biden “must respond more forcefully to Iranian-backed proxies.” Miller added, “We are not taking this seriously. We are not deterring anyone at the moment.”
Israel has tightened its blockade on the Gaza Strip, allowing limited amounts of aid into the territory since the start of the war, causing a severe humanitarian crisis and “horrific” conditions, according to the United Nations and international organizations.
