Message of Reassurance from Houthis to Europeans in Hopes of Withdrawing Naval Forces
The leader of the rebels considers that the impact on the security and safety of navigation and the passage of ships is due to the congestion of warships in the Red Sea
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi called on European countries on Thursday to withdraw their warships from the Red Sea, emphasizing that there is no danger to European navigation that does not head to Israel.
Al-Houthi said in a televised speech broadcast by the “Al-Masirah” satellite channel affiliated with the group: “We say to the Europeans, in your interest, withdraw your units that cost you a lot and expose you to risks and confrontations for the benefit of the United States.”
He continued, addressing European countries, “Through coordination with our country, any state can pass through the sea without any targeting,” noting that “the impact on the security and safety of navigation and the passage of ships is due to the congestion of warships in the Red Sea.”
The leader of the Houthi rebels announced that his group has launched attacks on about a hundred ships “linked to the enemy” Israel in the waters of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden since the beginning of the war in Gaza, within the framework of what the group says are attempts to support Palestinians in Gaza and pressure towards ending the escalating war that has been going on for more than six months.
Al-Houthi said, “Eight ships linked to the enemies have been targeted, bringing the total number of targeted ships to 98.”
Since November, the Houthis have been launching missile and drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. They say these attacks are part of their solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
The United States has formed a multinational alliance aimed at protecting shipping in the Red Sea and has carried out repeated strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-January. Britain has also participated in many of these strikes.
Later, the European Union announced on February 19th the launch of a European naval mission called “Aspidus” to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, affirming that it is separate from the attacks carried out by Washington and London, although there is coordination between them.
While the Houthi considered that these rebel attacks “succeeded” in achieving their goal, he emphasized that “there is no solution that contributes to stability in the region except stopping the aggression and siege on Gaza.”
In a related context, the Houthi praised the unprecedented bombardment carried out by Iran on Israel last weekend, considering this attack “strong in terms of momentum and timing and from Iranian territory.”
Tehran launched an unprecedented direct attack on the Israeli state last weekend, placing it within the framework of “legitimate self-defense” after the destruction of its consulate in Damascus on April 1st, attributed to Israel.
The attack took place on Saturday night when Tehran launched more than 300 ballistic, cruise, and drones with a total payload of 85 tons, Israel said it managed to intercept almost all of them with the help of its allies and only caused limited damage.
