Yemen’s Houthi rebels vowed on Tuesday to continue attacks on Israeli ships passing through nearby waters, despite the announcement of an international coalition led by the United States (U.S.) against them in the Red Sea, Anadolu reports.
A senior member of the Houthi group, Mohammad Abdulsalam, posted on the X social network that the attack was aimed at supporting the Palestinians as they face Israeli “aggression and siege” in Gaza.
He added that the Yemeni operations are not a challenge for the other side, but emphasized that any side that wants to expand the conflict “must bear the consequences of its actions.”
“The coalition formed by the U.S. aims to protect Israel and the militarization of the (Red) Sea without any justification, and will not prevent Yemen from continuing its legitimate operations in support of Gaza,” he noted.
Abdulsalam added:
“Since the U.S. has allowed itself to support Israel… the peoples of the region have full legitimacy to support the Palestinian people. Yemen has taken it upon itself to stand with the Palestinian right.”
On Monday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a multinational mission called Operation Prosperity Guardian to counter Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Austin described the move as “an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of Joint Naval Forces and Task Force 153,” which focuses on security in the Red Sea.
Namely, the Red Sea is one of the most used sea routes in the world for transporting oil and fuel.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have significantly intensified their involvement in the current conflict in the Gaza Strip by targeting ships in the southern Red Sea and warning that they will attack any Israeli ships, AA writes.
E.Dz.
