The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen announced Thursday that in addition to the blockade of Israeli ships, American and British vessels are banned from transiting the Red Sea.
Ships owned in whole or in part by Israeli individuals and entities, as well as Israeli-flagged vessels, have been banned from entering the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea since November. The Houthis blocked the crucial trade route as a sign of support for Hamas in its war against Israel in Gaza.
The Houthis‘ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre stated that the blockade now extended to Britain and the US, which carried out twin attacks on the group’s facilities in Yemen and led an international coalition of more than 20 countries to counter the blockade of global trade and shipping.
A British-owned Palau-flagged cargo ship was attacked with two missiles on Thursday in the latest Houthi attack, 70 nautical miles southeast of the Yemeni port city of Aden. The vessel, named Islander, was travelling from Thailand to Egypt when it was attacked in the region’s waters, according to maritime security company Ambry. US-led coalition forces responded to the attack.
On 10 January, the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling on the Houthis to immediately halt attacks on shipping, which had no effect on the group.
