Houthi threaten to attack Israeli ships in the Red Sea

Confirming its involvement Yemeni Armed Forces spokesman military spokesperson Yahya Saree said had launched missiles targeting Israeli targets.  The Houthi also said it would target Israeli shipping the Red Sea, stating: “We declare a complete and total ban on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, and we consider all enemy movements to be legitimate military targets for our Armed Forces from the moment this statement is issued.”

It is not clear what the Houthi define as “Israeli maritime navigation”, in the past it has targeted vessels it sees as being Israeli owned, operated or managed, as vessels calling at Israeli ports.

Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech commented: “The statement does not amount to a ban on all commercial shipping in the Red Sea and is instead directed at vessels assessed by the Houthis as Israeli-affiliated. Given the broad wording used, vessels operating in the region should maintain heightened vigilance and conduct enhanced affiliation screening.”

Traffic in the Red Sea, particularly the northern half has increased since the outbreak of the war with Iran as Saudi crude oil exports have diverted to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, and container traffic to and from the region to the Port of Jeddah avoiding the Strait of Hormuz which has been effectively closed by Iran.