The Houthis in Yemen issued a threat Sunday evening, warning they would begin targeting any ship belonging to companies that deal with Israeli ports.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said that such attacks would occur regardless of the flag under which the ships sail. “The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all companies to cease their dealings with Israeli enemy ports starting from the moment this statement is announced. Otherwise, their ships, regardless of their destination, will be targeted anywhere that can be reached or within the reach of our missiles and drones,” he declared.
Saree said the move represents an “escalation” in response to the situation in the Gaza Strip, describing it as "the fourth phase of the naval blockade against the enemy."
Over the past month, a lull in Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea came to an end. The last reported strike on a commercial ship in the area took place in December 2024, before attacks resumed.
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In May, following weeks of American airstrikes, U.S. President Donald Trump unexpectedly announced he had halted the campaign, claiming the Houthis “no longer want to fight.” While reports indicated that the Houthis had agreed to stop attacks on U.S. vessels as part of a deal with Washington, they had, in practice, also refrained from targeting other ships—until now.
November will mark two years since the near-continuous attacks by the Houthis on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea—strikes the group claims are in response to Israeli actions in Gaza. Between November 2023 and the end of 2024, the Houthis launched attacks on more than 100 merchant ships using missiles and drones, sinking four and killing eight sailors.
These assaults have led to a sharp decline in maritime trade through the Red Sea, a critical shipping route through which an estimated $1 trillion in goods passes annually. As part of what they call their “Campaign in Support of Gaza,” the Houthis have also repeatedly launched missiles toward Israel, a barrage that has continued despite a series of airstrikes targeting them.