Yemen’s Houthi chief negotiator has declared that the group’s stance remains unchanged despite recent US-led airstrikes on their positions, asserting their intention to continue targeting vessels en route to Israel.
Last week, US and British military forces, including warplanes, ships, and submarines, conducted numerous airstrikes across Yemen. This action was in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the Iran-backed rebels justify as a response to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, in a statement to Reuters on Monday, emphasized the group’s ongoing strategy: “We will persist in our efforts to halt Israeli ships or those bound for Israeli ports.”
Abdulsalam reiterated the group’s demands for an end to Israel’s operations in Gaza and called for humanitarian aid to reach both northern and southern regions of the besieged Palestinian territory.
He claimed that it’s not the Houthis but the United States and Britain that are increasing military presence in the Red Sea through their warships. “We continue to communicate our stance, assuring that all commercial ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are safe, except for those Israeli vessels or those heading towards Israel,” he stated.
Israel has consistently denied any connection to vessels attacked in the Red Sea, leading several international shipping companies to halt deliveries or resort to longer, more expensive routes.
Abdulsalam grounded the Houthis’ position in religious, moral, and humanitarian principles, and as a response to the Palestinian people’s plea for support in Gaza.
The US military reported that a US fighter jet downed an anti-ship cruise missile launched by the Houthis at the USS Laboon in the southern Red Sea, with no reported injuries or damage.
The Houthi rebels, engaged in nearly a decade-long war against a coalition backed by the US and Saudi Arabia, control significant parts of Yemen.
The UN Security Council, in a recent meeting, urged the Houthis to cease attacks on Red Sea shipping immediately. It implicitly supported a US-led task force protecting vessels, while cautioning against escalating regional tensions.