Houthi Threat to International Shipping Prompts Multinational Coalition Formation and British Support

Houthi clung to the shipping threat in the wake of the formation of a deterrence coalition led by Washington

Despite international warnings, unknown persons, believed to be linked to the Houthi group in Yemen, attempted on Tuesday to carry out new piracy operations against at least two ships, the day after Washington announced the formation of a multinational coalition to protect navigation in the Red Sea.

On Tuesday, the pro-Iranian group renewed its continued targeting of ships that it claims are sailing to or from Israeli ports, regardless of their nationality, in the context of the claim that targeting ships is to support the Palestinians in Gaza..

Major international shipping companies announced avoiding navigation in the Red Sea (AFP)

While the movements of the Yemeni leaders under the Presidential Command Council showed their support for international efforts to stop the Houthi threats, on Monday, the group claimed responsibility for two attacks on two ships with drones, bringing the attacks to 100, according to the US Department of Defense.

The world’s major shipping companies announced a collective reluctance from the Red Sea, due to the escalating threats, amid fears that the military response to the Houthis would undermine international and regional efforts to achieve progress in the Yemeni peace process.

The spokesman for the Houthi group, Muhammad Abdel Salam Fleita, confirmed in tweets on the “X” platform, on Tuesday, that his group continues to carry out attacks, and said that the group’s operations “are not a show of force, nor a challenge to anyone, and whoever seeks to expand the conflict must bear the consequences of his actions.”

Fleita, who resides in the Sultanate of Oman, described the coalition formed by the United States to protect navigation as “to protect Israel and militarize the sea without any justification,” and stressed that his group will not stop its operations, and that there is no danger except to ships that have a relationship with Israel.

A British destroyer clashed with a Houthi march in the Red Sea (AP)

The Houthi spokesman, who is considered the group’s de facto foreign minister, saw in the international warning of his group’s danger that it was merely “tendentious American propaganda that is devoid of reality, seeking to build an international wall to protect Israel at sea after its concrete walls fell in front of (Al-Aqsa’s flood),” according to what he said.

New hacking attempts

British maritime security company Ambrey said on Tuesday that it had received information about a possible attempt to board a ship 17 miles west of the coastal city of Aden in Yemen, adding that the attack was unsuccessful, and that all crew members were fine, according to what the agency reported. Reuters.

She explained in a memo that “a ship in the vicinity received a high-frequency communication from a ship (being subjected to a pirate attack) at the location. Half an hour later, a plane arrived… at the scene of the incident to comb the area.”

The pro-Iranian group has been holding the international tanker “Galaxy Leader” since last November after pirating it, detaining its crew, and turning it into a shrine for its followers.

In addition, the British Navy’s Maritime Operations Authority said that it had received a report of an incident 80 nautical kilometers northeast of Djibouti, and that 4 small boats approached a ship at the entrance to the Red Sea.

The authority described the incident as a “suspicious approach,” and stated that one of the four boats sailed parallel to the ship before moving away, and there were between 4 and 5 people on board each small boat. The authority added that no weapons sightings were reported.

The Houthi group did not claim responsibility for these attempts, but according to the US Department of Defense, it carried out more than 100 attacks using drones and ballistic missiles on ten commercial ships.

Armed men off the dock of the ship “Galaxy Leader” pirated by the Houthis (Reuters)

Earlier, leader Youssef Al-Madani, who is close to the leader of the Houthi group and the military supervisor on the coast of Hodeidah, said that his group will confront any country or party that prevents it from the attacks that he claimed were targeting Israel.

Al-Madani, according to what the Houthi media reported on Monday, called for “increasing preparedness to confront any threats that may arise,” claiming that his group’s enemies are seeking “to react after being insulted.”

The Houthi leader revealed that his group had prepared from an early stage to carry out such attacks at sea, and he bragged about pirating the international ship “Galaxy Leader” at a distance of 120 kilometers from the Yemeni coast, claiming that the special force that carried out the operation had undergone extensive training for two years to carry out similar operations.

Yemeni politicians say that the Houthi group, by harassing the international community in the Red Sea and testing its patience, is seeking to mobilize more supporters internally by claiming oppression and that it is fighting America and Israel.

International coalition and British support

During his tour of the Middle East, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin held a virtual meeting that included ministers and senior defense officials from 43 countries, in addition to officials from the European Union and NATO, and informed them that the Houthi attacks have already affected the global economy, and will continue to threaten commercial shipping if they do not… The international community is addressing the issue collectively.

On Monday, Austin announced the launch of a multinational operation to protect trade in the Red Sea, and the participating countries include Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (AP)

For its part, Britain warned that the security situation was deteriorating in the Red Sea, and that attacks by ballistic missiles and drones represented an increasing threat, while agreeing to have a Royal Navy destroyer join a US-led operation to protect trade in the Red Sea. According to what was reported by Reuters.

The British Ministry of Defense confirmed on Tuesday that the destroyer Diamond, which shot down a suspected drone in the Red Sea on Saturday, would join the international task force, and warned of rising threat levels.

British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said in the statement: “These unlawful attacks represent an unacceptable threat to the global economy, undermine security in the region, and threaten to raise fuel prices.” He added: “This is a global problem that requires an international solution.”

The British statement explained that the task force currently includes, in addition to the destroyer “Diamond,” three American destroyers and a French warship in the region. These ships operate in the southern Red Sea, and focus on protecting freedom of navigation, international trade, and the lives of individuals, by confronting non-state parties that carry out illegal operations in international waters.

The Houthi threat and the peace path

Despite a spokesman in the Yemeni Ministry of Defense announcing that Yemen will not participate in any international coalition to confront the Houthis in the Red Sea, the movements of leaders in the Presidential Command Council indicate support for international movements.

The Houthi group vowed earlier that it would move to the stage of “sinking ships” instead of merely deterring them from crossing international waters in the Red Sea, claiming that it had weapons to achieve that purpose, according to what one of its military commanders said.

The Yemeni government holds the international community accountable for the outcome of the security situation in the Red Sea, as the major countries stood in the way of efforts to liberate Hodeidah and the rest of the coast from the grip of the Iran-backed Houthi group in 2018.

Member of the Yemeni Leadership Council, Aidaroos Al-Zubaidi, accompanied by the Minister of Defense, inspects Bab Al-Mandab (Saba)

The official media reported that a member of the Yemeni Presidential Command Council, Major General Aidaroos Al-Zubaidi, visited Mayon Island and the Bab Al-Mandab District, where the Yemeni island lies in the middle of the strategic strait, and was accompanied by the Minister of Defense, Lieutenant General Mohsen Al-Daari, the Minister of Transport, Dr. Abdul Salam Humaid, the former Minister of Defense, Major General Mahmoud Al-Subaihi, and a number of… Military and civilian leaders.

During his visit, Al-Zubaidi inspected a number of vital projects being implemented on the island, most notably the Mayon Island airport, the water desalination plant, and the housing unit that is being worked on with support from the United Arab Emirates.

Major General Al-Zubaidi directed – according to the “Saba” agency – the rapid implementation of the sea tongue project on the island, the fish landing center project and the ice production factory, and the construction of an additional desalination plant to serve the island’s residents.

Member of the Presidential Command Council, Tariq Saleh, had earlier inspected the Yemeni naval forces and coast guard forces on the coast of Mocha on the Red Sea, in addition to inspecting the forces on the contact lines with the Houthis south of Hodeidah.

Observers fear that the Houthis’ recklessness will undermine the UN-led peace efforts, mediated by Saudi Arabia and Oman, to reach a sustainable political solution in Yemen, as the group is accused of implementing Iran’s agenda in the region.

Chairman of the Yemeni Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, meeting in Riyadh with the UN envoy (Saba)

According to Yemeni media, the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, received in Riyadh, on Tuesday, the United Nations Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, and received a briefing from him regarding his recent contacts to resume a comprehensive Yemeni political process under the auspices of the United Nations.

The meeting touched on developments in the Yemeni situation, including international efforts aimed at building on the efforts of Saudi Arabia and Oman to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement, alleviate the suffering of the Yemenis, and revive the peace path in accordance with its national, regional, and international references, according to the “Saba” agency.

During the meeting, Al-Alimi stressed the openness of the Governing Council he leads to all good initiatives and endeavors, and called for “the necessity of exerting maximum pressure on the Houthi militias, and pushing them towards serious engagement with the ongoing peace efforts in which the legitimate government is keen to expand humanitarian benefits for citizens, and at the forefront is paying salaries.” employees”.

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2023-12-20 11:28:57