Houthis Impose Ban on Israeli Ships in the Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, announced a “complete and total ban” on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea on Monday.

The Houthis declared that any movements by Israel would be considered legitimate military targets. They warned that their military actions would escalate in response.

“Escalation will lead to escalation,” stated Brigadier General John Brig, a spokesperson for the Houthis. He noted that their operations would intensify as the situation develops, coordinating efforts with what they termed the “Axis of Jihad and Resistance,” a nod to Iran’s influence in the region.

He added, “As long as the siege against us and the axis of struggle continues, our operations will too.” Meanwhile, there were claims from Houthi officials that their forces had targeted central Israel with missiles as a response to perceived Israeli actions in Lebanon, Iran, and Gaza.

According to them, a missile was successfully fired at a significant target in what they referred to as the occupied Jaffa region, which essentially pertains to areas around Tel Aviv. This was framed as retaliation for Israel’s strikes against Hezbollah.

Following these developments, Houthi missiles triggered alerts in Israel, coinciding with additional missile fire from Iran. Throughout the ongoing conflict, maritime threats from the Houthis have impacted shipping routes in the Red Sea, especially during the current Gaza War, leading to increased costs and longer detours for global shipping.

Earlier in March, the Houthis had threatened to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another crucial route linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. Following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the level of oil tanker activity—particularly transporting Saudi oil—has surged, as the country has redirected much of its oil exports into the Red Sea.

The volume of oil transported through Bab el-Mandeb nearly doubled in just a couple of months, rising from 3.9 million barrels per day in February to 7.2 million barrels per day by April, according to shipping data.

Research Fellow Falea Almuslimi from Chatham House commented that the Houthis might believe they can effectively blockade Bab el-Mandeb with a few targeted attacks on tankers and cargo ships. He remarked that a single attack could create significant disruptions in the insurance market.

He further expressed that a combined blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb wouldn’t be surprising given the current situation.