Yemen Houthi Rebels Promise Safe Navigation for Russian and Chinese Ships – AFP News Update

Yemen Houthi rebels [AFP 연합뉴스 자료사진. 재판매 및 DB 금지]

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Jong-un = A high-ranking member of Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are threatening the Red Sea, promised safe navigation of Russian and Chinese ships in the Red Sea, AFP reported on the 19th (local time).

Muhammad al-Buhaiti, a member of the Supreme Political Council, the leading organization of the Houthi rebels, said this in an interview with Russian media Izvestia on this day, claiming that the sea around Yemen is safe as long as it is not related to certain countries, especially Israel.

“As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their ships are not threatened in that area,” Albuhaiti said.

“Moreover, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their vessels in the Red Sea, because free navigation plays a significant role for our country,” he added.

He said, however, that attacks on ships linked in some way to Israel would continue.

The Houthi rebels, supported by Iran, have been attacking civilian ships passing through the Red Sea, a major international trade route, under the pretext of supporting Palestine when the war between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas broke out.

The U.S. Navy pointed out that the Houthi rebels claim that they only target ships from specific countries, such as Israel, but in reality, the ships attacked were related to dozens of countries.

Al-Buhaiti blamed the Houthi rebels’ attacks on merchant ships on the ships for ignoring instructions to change course, and claimed, “Our goal is to increase the economic cost to the Jewish state in order to stop the massacre in the Gaza Strip.”

He also said regarding the cargo ship Galaxy Leader that Houthi rebels captured in November last year, the detained crew members were well and “we welcomed them warmly.”

Hamas began threatening ships in the Red Sea in earnest, starting with the capture of the Galaxy Leader.

As Houthi rebels continued to attack, the United States mobilized fighter jets, ships, and submarines together with Britain on the 12th to carry out large-scale bombing of dozens of Houthi facilities, saying it was a direct response to the threat to global trade routes.

In response, the Houthis warned of all-out retaliation and launched a series of attacks, and tensions are rising as the United States continues additional airstrikes.

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2024/01/19 14:55 Sent

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2024-01-19 05:55:59