Yemen Houthis vow to keep up Red Sea attacks despite US warnings

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – – AFP

The Houthis have vowed to continue attacks on Red Sea shipping “even if America succeeds in mobilising the entire world”.

The United States has condemned “unprecedented” attacks by Yemeni rebels on Red Sea shipping as the Houthis vowed to continue military operations as long as Israel’s brutal war on Gaza continues.

The flurry of drone and missile attacks by the Houthis, the latest of which targeted two vessels on Monday, have the potential to upend global trade flows, with major shipping firms involved with Israeli trade halting traffic through the Bab al-Mandeb strait.

Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has warned that the retaliatory attacks “threaten” the free flow of commerce, a day after he announced a multinational task force to quell Houthi missile and drone attacks.

“Secretary Austin condemned Houthi attacks on international shipping and global commerce as unprecedented and unacceptable, noting the attacks threaten the free flow of commerce,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement.

Austin spoke during a virtual meeting with representatives of 43 countries, as well as the European Union and NATO, to discuss the increased threat to maritime security in the Red Sea, the statement said.

The Pentagon chief “urged participants to join US-led and other international initiatives… to restore security in the Red Sea to deter future Houthi aggression,” the statement added.

The task force he announced on Monday includes Britain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain as well as the United States.

Houthis, however, have pledged to continue attacks until there is a complete humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza.

“Even if America succeeds in mobilising the entire world, our military operations will not stop… no matter the sacrifices it costs us,” senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti said on X.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam said the “US-formed coalition aims to protect Israel and militarise the sea,” adding: “Whoever seeks to expand the conflict must bear the consequences of those actions.”

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels involving more than 35 different countries, according to the Pentagon.

In November, they seized the Galaxy Leader merchant vessel, taking its 25-member crew hostage. Both the vessel and crew remain in Yemen.

– ‘Difficult to intercept’ –

On Monday, the rebels claimed attacks on two vessels in the vital shipping lane between Asia and Europe, including the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic.

The US military’s Central Command said the Swan Atlantic “was attacked by a one-way attack drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen”.

It said the guided missile destroyer USS Carney “responded to assess damage”.

At approximately the same time, “the bulk cargo ship MV Clara reported an explosion in the water near their location,” CENTCOM said.

No casualties were reported in either attack, it added.

Insurance costs have soared, prompting major shipping firms to reroute their vessels around the southern tip of Africa, despite the higher fuel costs of the much longer voyage.

Denmark’s A.P Moller-Maersk — which accounts for 15 percent of global container freight — is among the shipping giants that have suspended Red Sea voyages until further notice.