Yemen's Houthis threaten to escalate attacks on ships linked to
companies dealing with Israel
[July 28, 2025]
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The rebel Houthi group in Yemen has said it
will target merchant ships belonging to any company that does business
with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality, as part of what it
described as the next phase of its operations against Israel.
The Iran-backed Houthis launched a campaign targeting merchant vessels
in response to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, saying they were
doing so in solidarity with the Palestinian people. Their attacks over
the past two years have upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which
$1 trillion of goods usually passes each year. |
This photo released by the European Union's Operation Aspides shows
fires burning aboard the oil tanker Sounion in the Red Sea on Sunday,
Aug. 25, 2024. (European Union's Operation Aspides via AP, File) |
|
In an announcement late Sunday night, the Houthis said they had
“decided to escalate their military support operations and begin
implementing the fourth phase of the naval blockade” against
Israel.
They warned that they would target “all ships belonging to any
company that deals with the ports of the Israeli enemy,
regardless of the nationality of that company, and in any
location within the reach of our armed forces.” The vessels
would be targeted regardless of their destination, they added.
The group said countries should pressure Israel to stop the war
in Gaza and lift its blockade on the Palestinian territory “if
they want to avoid this escalation.”
Earlier this month, the Houthis attacked and sank two
Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carriers – the Magic Seas and
the Eternity C. The attack on the latter left four crew members
dead and 11 more were taken captive, while all 22 crew members
of the Magic Seas were rescued before the ship sank.
From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis targeted more
than 100 ships with missiles and drones. The rebels stopped
their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war and later
became the target of an intense, weekslong airstrike campaign
ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In May, the U.S. announced a deal with the Houthis to end the
airstrikes in return for an end to shipping attacks, although
the rebel group said the agreement did not include halting
attacks on targets it believed were aligned with Israel.
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