Watan-The Houthi Ansar Allah group has revealed a means by which ships can safely cross the Red Sea amid attacks carried out by the group to pressure for an end to the war in Gaza.
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the group’s Supreme Political Council, stated in a post on the “X” platform: “The simplest solution to allow ships to pass safely through the Red Sea is to put a sign on their automatic identification system (AIS) stating ‘No Relation to Israel.'”
He added: “This solution has proven its effectiveness, as 64 ships have safely crossed the sea using this sign.”
Al-Houthi commented on the announcement by the British Ministry of Defense that it would spend £405 million (514 million dollars) to update a missile system used by the Royal Navy to counter hostile drones over the Red Sea.
وصلت رسالتنا
ولفتت انتباههم
وتأكدوا أن القوات المسلحة اليمنية البحرية وغيرها لم تعد تملك سوى بنادق الـ موزر
بفضل الله تعالىحيث قالت وزارة الدفاع البريطانية اليوم الأحد إنها ستنفق 405 مليون جنيه إسترليني (514 مليون دولار) لتحديث نظام صاروخي تستخدمه البحرية الملكية الآن لإسقاط… pic.twitter.com/52ScepUPEE
— محمد علي الحوثي (@Moh_Alhouthi) January 21, 2024
He said: “I advise Britain once again to stop participating with America in the aggression against the Yemeni armed forces because the goal of the Yemeni forces is a noble one, to stop the aggression and lift the blockade on Gaza, while the goal of the American operations in which Britain participates is to protect the usurping Israeli entity and support it, encouraging it not to stop terrorism and massacres.”
He added: “In addition to the fact that what has happened so far has proven the failure of their operations and demonstrated that their militarization of the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, and preventing the passage of commercial ships, violate international navigation.”
Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea Houthi attacks with missiles and drones target cargo ships in the Red Sea owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel, in solidarity with Gaza and condemnation of the Israeli war on the sector.
On January 12, the White House announced in a joint statement by 10 countries that “in response to Houthi attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea, the American and British armed forces carried out joint attacks against targets in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.”
Rise in Shipping Company Prices Due to Houthi Attacks Following Houthi attacks, shipping companies have tripled the prices they impose for transporting a container from Asia to Europe, partially to cover the additional cost of sailing around Africa. Ship owners still using the Red Sea, especially tanker owners, face increased insurance premiums.
Container prices have not yet risen to the same extent as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
However, retail traders warned that avoiding the Suez Canal could delay the arrival of goods in stores. Some car factories in Europe had to briefly suspend operations while waiting for spare parts from Asia.