In response to the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis declared on Tuesday their intention to intensify attacks against ships navigating the Red Sea.
Lieutenant General Jalal Al-Ruwaishan, the Deputy Prime Minister of the caretaker government for defense and security affairs affiliated with the Ansar Allah group, conveyed the threat, emphasizing Yemen’s commitment to countering what he described as Zionist aggression.
“The Yemeni military stance will heighten as long as the Zionist aggression and blockade on the Gaza Strip persist,” stated Al-Ruwaishan, asserting Yemen’s resolve to conduct operations against the perceived Zionist enemy. He underscored the Yemeni armed forces’ possession of capabilities and information crucial for the execution of their warnings.
Earlier, Yemen’s Houthis saidthey hit a Norwegian commercial tanker with a missile in their latest protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, underlining the risks of a conflict that has shaken the Middle East.
The Iran-aligned group attacked the tanker, the STRINDA, because it was delivering crude oil to an Israeli terminal and after its crew ignored all warnings, Houthi military spokesperson Yehia Sarea said in a statement.
The Houthis have waded into the Israel-Hamas conflict – which has spread around the region since Oct. 7 – attacking vessels in vital shipping lanes and firing drones and missiles at Israel more than 1,000 miles from their seat of power in the Yemeni capital of Sanaa.
On Saturday, they said they would target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.
