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TPS-IL on 20 January, 2025
Houthis Say Limiting Red Sea Attacks to Israeli Shipping
Jerusalem, 20 January, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis said on Sunday that they will limit their attacks on Red Sea shipping to commercial vessels owned by Israel or flying its flag according to the Yemen-based Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center. The announcement came one day after a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect.
The HOCC added that attacks on US or UK-associated ships would resume if those countries attacked Houthi positions.
On Sunday, US forces launched airstrikes after the Houthis launched missiles and drones at the USS Harry Truman.
The Houthis vowed in early December to target any Israel-bound ship in the Red Sea, regardless of its ownership. They have attacked or harassed around 100 ships, hijacked the MV Galaxy Leader in November 2023 and are holding its crew of 25 hostage.
Their attacks have brought the Port of Eilat to a standstill. Port management placed around one-quarter of the 120 workers on unpaid leave, cut back the work hours of 20 others in July.
Houthi attacks on shipping also had a devastating impact on Egypt as Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty recently confirmed that revenue from the Suez Canal has dropped 60%.
From bases along the Yemeni coast, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have threatened ships in the Red Sea as they traverse the Bab el-Mandeb Straits, a narrow maritime choke point between the Arabian Peninsula and Africa. The majority of the world’s oil passes through the strait from the Indian Ocean towards the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea.
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, the Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and 170 drones at Israel. The majority have been intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace.
Israel launched several retaliatory airstrikes on Houthi positions, most recently on Jan. 10.
