A senior official of Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist army told Russian media on Friday that Russian and Chinese ships can safely transit the Red Sea without fear of attack.
The Houthis have largely shut down the vital Red Sea shipping lanes by attacking all other flagged vessels with drones, missiles and hijacking units.
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Houthi leader Mohammed al-Buhaiti Said Russian Izvestia Newspapers say the Houthis are targeting ships heading to Israel, owned by Israel, or connected to Israel.
“Maritime shipping in the region is not threatened, as is the case with all other countries, including Russia and China,” he insisted. “Furthermore, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their ships in the Red Sea, as free navigation plays an important role for our country.”
In fact, the Houthis have targeted vessels that have no connection to Israel, and while their claims of careful targeting have little credibility, Chinese and Russian vessels have been linked to Tehran's backers. Because of their alliance, the Houthis will probably refrain from attacking.
Buhaiti vows terrorist attacks on ships will continue despite restrictions on US and UK activities airstrike against a Houthi missile launch site.
Houthi fighters and tribesmen rally against US and UK attacks on Houthi-run military facilities near Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, January 14, 2024. (AP photo)
Another Houthi spokesman, Mohamed Abdulsalam, said: Said Reuters said on Friday that ships from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which intervened in Yemen's civil war to fight the Houthis in 2015, would not be targeted. He called on Saudi Arabia and the Emirates to “reject the militarization of the Red Sea,” referring to the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, which supports the Houthis and protects ships.
“We do not want escalation to escalate. This is not our demand. We have imposed rules of engagement that do not result in the shedding of a single drop of blood or significant material loss. It only represents pressure on Israel and not on any country in the world,” Abdulsalam argued.
“What the Yemeni people initially did was to target Israeli ships heading to Israel, without causing any human loss or even significant material loss, only blocking the passage of ships as a matter of natural right. “There is no doubt that Yemen will react if the situation escalates further with the United States joining now.”
WATCH — Pentagon: 'No indication' Houthis will stop attacks:
“We don't want the conflict to escalate in the region, and we don't like that. We're still working on de-escalation, but as long as they continue to attack, it's up to the United States to decide.”
The Houthis are not Yemen's legitimate government, and even if they were, they have no “natural right” to carry out terrorist attacks on ships in international waters.
On Thursday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Confirmed Another attack.The Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles at the tanker, known as an MV. chem ranger The ship was registered in the Marshall Islands, owned by an American, and operated by a Greek company.
“The crew observed the missile impacting the waters near the ship. No injuries or damage to the ship were reported. The ship continues to sail,” CENTCOM said.
Centcom too Said On Thursday, the U.S. military announced that it had “attacked two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were preparing to launch toward the southern Red Sea.”
The missiles were destroyed in self-defense after the U.S. military “determined that they posed an imminent threat to commercial shipping and U.S. naval vessels in the region.”
