Houthis announce fourth escalation phase, sanctions on all ships associated with Israel’s ports if Rafah invaded

Houthi Spokesperson Yahya Sarea warned of a fourth phase of escalation, announcing that the group would impose sanctions on all ships associated with and heading to Israeli ports if the city of Rafah is invaded.

Sarea confirmed: “The Yemeni Armed Forces are following the developments of the battle in the Gaza Strip, including continued Israeli and American aggression, and the preparations for an aggressive military operation targeting the Rafah area.”

He added: “We are also following the offer presented to the resistance, in which the enemy wants the hostage card to be played without a permanent ceasefire.”

“Therefore, and in response to the calls of the resistance of the oppressed Palestinian people, and in light of the persistence of the Israeli and American enemies, the Yemeni armed forces, with the help of God Almighty, announce the beginning of the implementation of the fourth phase of escalation.”

Sarea explained the fourth phase: “First, the targeting of all ships violating the decision banning Israeli navigation and which are heading to the ports of occupied Palestine in the Mediterranean Sea, in any area within our reach.”

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“Second, the implementation of this begins from the moment this statement is made,” he said, stressing that “if the Israeli enemy launches an aggressive military operation on Rafah, the Yemeni armed forces will impose comprehensive sanctions on all ships of companies that are related to supply and entry into the ports of occupied Palestinian of any nationality.”

He stated that the group: “Will prevent all of these companies’ ships from passing through the areas where the armed forces are operating, regardless of their destination. The Yemeni armed forces, with the help of God Almighty, and then with the support of the great Yemeni people, and all the free people of the nation, will not hesitate to prepare for wider and stronger stages of escalation until the aggression stops and the siege on the oppressed Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip is lifted.”

In a related context, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said that Iranian-backed “militias” have mostly stopped their attacks on US soldiers in the region.

In a briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on global threats, Haines noted that the Houthis, who announced their intention to expand the scope of their operations to the Indian Ocean last month, began launching naval attacks almost every day starting last week.

Haines stated: “Iran-aligned militia groups in the region continue to plan attacks against our forces, but it broadly paused conducting such attacks though it is not clear how long that pause will last.”

Haines pointed out that the situation in Gaza is “another striking example” of how a localised conflict can produce a global impact, stressing that the world has faced new security paradigms and humanitarian challenges in the past seven months.

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