Abdul Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, asserted on Thursday that despite ongoing attacks by the rebels on ships linked to Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom have reduced their naval presence in the Red Sea.
Al-Houthi dismissed claims of decreased rebel operations, stating, “Our operations remain unaffected, contrary to American assertions of achievement.
It is the movement of their warships that has seen an 80% reduction, not our activities,” as reported by Iranian broadcaster Almasirah, marking 200 days of hostilities in Gaza.
During this period, al-Houthi disclosed that 102 Israeli-affiliated ships have been targeted, averaging an attack every two days.
“The failure of American and British efforts to secure the passage of Israel-bound vessels, despite extensive monitoring, underscores their inability to halt our operations in the southern Red Sea,” al-Houthi emphasized.
Additionally, he revealed plans to expand and fortify operations in the Indian Ocean, aiming to surpass the expectations of the US, UK, Israel, and the global community.
Al-Houthi’s remarks follow recent attacks on a US ship, a destroyer in the Gulf of Aden, and the Israeli vessel MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, following a week-long standoff.
The Houthi insurgency has targeted both commercial and military vessels in response to Israeli actions in Gaza. The US responded by forming a multinational coalition to safeguard shipping and conducting airstrikes on Houthi targets.
