THE NEWS

The Houthis of Yemen (Ansar Allah) have announced on Tuesday the countdown has begun to the resumption of attacks on Red Sea shipping and military vessels patrolling the waters.

The Iran-backed Shia group which has effectively been at war with Israel since the Oct.7 2023 Hamas attacks and beginning of the subsequent Gaza war has issued a new deadline for Israel to lift restrictions on humanitarian aid to the Strip.

“Confirming the readiness of the Yemeni naval operations, whose mission is to confront the Israeli American starvation and terrorist siege of Gaza,” an Ansar Allah spokesman Mohamed Ali Al-Houthi, posted in an Arabic statement on X.

“Any escalation will be the responsibility of the Israeli and American enemies,” the statement added. The Houthis had paused their long-running attacks on Red Sea vessels – both merchant ships and military – when the Hamas-Israel truce and hostage exchange deal took effect.

Deputy Head of Ansar Allah’s Media Authority Nasruddin Amer on X:

“Only hours separate us from announcing the closure of the sea to Zionist navigation if the efforts of the mediators fail to pressure the Zionist enemy to adhere to the agreement and lift the siege on Gaza.”

But when Israel starting last week blocked humanitarian aid and fuel shipments into the Gaza Strip, which has also more lately included the cutting off of remaining electricity supplies, the Houthis warned to restore the aid or else face resumed attacks.

The group’s leader last Friday had declared a four-day deadline before attacks on shipping would resume. That four day timeline is about to end by close of Tuesday, which means the Red Sea could be fiery scene of drone and missile attacks out of Yemen once again.

Since 2023 over 100 missile and drone attacks on commercial vessels have occurred in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have also downed several MQ-9 Reaper drones operated by the Pentagon.

A US-led naval coalition which began under the Biden administration has been able to do nothing in terms of putting a dent in Houthi capabilities, even after several bombing raids on Yemen, also at times including Israeli and UK jets.