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The Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen are about to begin attacks against Israeli ships sailing in the Red Sea and other waters in support of the Gaza Strip, the Al-Mayadeen TV reported on November 18, citing a Yemeni military official.
The unnamed official told the Lebanon-based news channel that Israeli ships will be targeted regardless of whether they are heading to “occupied Palestine” or not.
“The Yemeni armed forces are capable of targeting any Israeli ship, whether in the Red Sea or any other place that the enemy does not expect,” the official said.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” which is backed by Iran and opposes Israel. Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the Houthis have been launching attacks with missiles and drones against Israel.
Earlier this week, the Houthis vowed to target Israeli ships sailing close to Yemen after announcing two attacks against Israel.
The Houthis possess a large arsenal of anti-ship missiles as well as sophisticated naval mines. They also pioneered the use of remotely-controlled water-borne improvised explosive devices and employed suicide drones against ships in the past.
After the Houthi threat to Israeli ships, the commander of the Israeli Air Forces said that there were plans to launch attacks against Yemen.
The Hotuhis have the means to close the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, in the face of Israeli ships. However, this will certainly result in a response from not only Israel, but also the United States who currently has an aircraft carrier strike group near Yemen.
