A Houthi military spokesman said on Thursday that they targeted an American ship in the Gulf of Aden with missiles.
According to Reuters, the spokesman said, on Wednesday, the Houthis targeted the American tanker “Ginco Picardie” with missiles, which led to an “accurate and direct hit.”
The spokesman added that the Houthis “will not hesitate to target sources of threat in the Red Sea in support of the Palestinian people.”
America reclassifies the Houthi group as a “terrorist” organization
US officials said that the administration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday re-listed the Houthis in Yemen on the list of “terrorist” groups, in the latest attempt by Washington to stop attacks on international shipping.
Officials explained that classifying the movement as a “global terrorist” group leads to the imposition of harsh sanctions on it and aims to cut off the funding and weapons it used to attack or hijack ships in vital shipping lanes in the Red Sea.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement: “This designation is an important tool to disrupt the Houthis’ financing, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.”
He stressed, “If the Houthis stop their attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the United States will immediately reevaluate this classification.”
The Biden administration also made “exceptions” with the aim of avoiding the impact of the classification on the population of Yemen, who depend on imported food and humanitarian aid, and pledged to communicate with groups including relief agencies before the classification comes into effect within 30 days.
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2024-01-17 21:16:18
