Yemeni rebel leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi threatened, on Wednesday, to respond if an American strike was launched against Yemen, after Washington announced the formation of an alliance in the Red Sea to confront rebel attacks against Yemen. Ships.
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The Houthi leader said in a speech broadcast on Al-Masirah TV, which is controlled by his movement: “If America wants to escalate or will commit the foolishness of targeting our country, we will not stand idly by.”
He added: “We will attack it after that, and we will make American naval units, American interests, and the American merchant marine a target for our missiles and drones.”
The latest wave of Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea with drones and missiles threatens to disrupt global trade flows, with major shipping companies cutting off traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
A senior Houthi official said this week that these attacks will only stop “if Israel stops its crimes and food, medicine and fuel reach the besieged population” in the Gaza Strip, as part of the conflict with the Palestinian Hamas movement.
The anti-Houthi coalition, announced on Monday, includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain.
According to the Pentagon, the Houthis launched more than 100 attacks, targeting 10 commercial ships linked to more than 35 countries. In November, they seized the ship Galaxy Leader and took its 25 crew hostage. The ship and its crew are still in Yemen.
Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi confirmed that the Houthis only target ships that deal with Israel, accusing the United States of seeking to “militarize the Red Sea for the benefit of the Israelis.”
The Red Sea is a “sea highway” linking the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean, and thus Europe to Asia. About 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal every year, which is another gateway for ships passing through the Red Sea.
According to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea.
Due to the Houthi attacks, insurance rates have risen, prompting major shipping companies to reroute their ships around the southern tip of Africa.
