The movement’s representative, Yahya Saria, appeared on a local television channel to warn that Houthi rebels connected to Yemen’s Shiite faction Ansar Allah could obstruct the passage of vessels heading to Israel. The report came from Al Masirah, the group’s media outlet.
Saria stated that Yemeni armed forces would endeavor to block ships bound for Israel. He underscored that the Houthis would not be deterred by the national identity of the ships’ flag states, and he urged international shipping companies to avoid cooperation with Israeli ports. The official clarified that this threat would not apply to every vessel in the sea lanes, but rather to those delivering goods to Israel or facilitating its maritime commerce.
The group’s spokesman warned that if Gaza fails to receive essential food and medical supplies, those ships could become legitimate military targets for the Houthis. The rhetoric reflected a pivot from political statements to concrete warnings about maritime routes and potential retaliation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb corridor.
The tense maritime environment has seasoned observers noting past attacks. Earlier, the Houthis were said to have targeted two Israeli ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and a British merchant ship as well as an Israeli vessel in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea corridors. Those incidents underscore a pattern of asserts aimed at disrupting shipping traffic in strategically critical bottlenecks between the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa.
In Washington, there was acknowledgment of the possibility of taking action against the Houthis from U.S. policymakers. The White House engagement signaled a readiness among some officials to consider responses that could constrain Houthi operations, though the exact measures and their implications remained under discussion. This backdrop of talk about potential responses reflects the broader international concern about maintaining safe navigation so that humanitarian aid, trade, and diplomatic channels are not unduly affected.