Houthis pledge support for red sea navigation freedom, excluding Israel and supporters

The Houthis have reaffirmed their commitment to ensuring the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea for all parties “except Israel and those who support it,” just hours after the United States reported casualties among the crew of a vessel attacked by the group.

In a statement released on Tuesday evening by the Saba news agency, Houthi political leader Mahdi Al-Mashat said, “We are committed to the freedom of navigation for everyone, except the Zionist entity and those who support it in its aggression against our people in Gaza.”

He stressed that the group has no intention of targeting any vessel not linked to Israel or its allies. “We have no desire to target anyone who is not associated with supporting the Zionist entity,” Al-Mashat said, adding that a humanitarian operations centre had been set up to coordinate with shipping companies in order to “minimise potential harm.”

He further stated, “All shipping companies must abide by the instructions and decisions of our armed forces,” warning that any party that fails to comply “will bear the consequences.” Al-Mashat also urged companies to “refrain from dealing with the assets of the Zionist entity.”

He concluded that the Houthi forces, which he described as “growing and disciplined,” would continue their operations “to end the aggression and lift the blockade on Gaza in accordance with international conventions.”

The statement followed an announcement by the United States earlier on Tuesday, confirming deaths and injuries among the crew of a commercial ship targeted by the Houthis in the Red Sea.

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