Houthis broaden conflict, warn cargo ships to avoid Israel amidst Gaza-Hamas clashes

• Houthi official warns cargo ships in Red Sea to avoid Israel.
• Houthis claim missile attack on Norwegian tanker.
• Cargo ships urged to keep radios on.

Following claims of an attack on a commercial tanker earlier in the day, a top Houthi official in Yemen issued a warning to cargo ships sailing in the Red Sea to steer clear of the occupied Palestinian territories. The organization is affiliated with Iran.

The dangers of a conflict that has shook the Middle East are highlighted by the Houthis’ earlier claim that they fired a missile at a Norwegian commercial tanker as part of their latest protest against Israel’s shelling of Gaza.

Mohamed Ali Al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, stated in a message on the social media platform X that ships passing through Yemen should not only refrain from sailing toward the Palestinian territories but also keep their radios on and react promptly to any attempts by the Houthis at communication.

Additionally, Al-Houthi cautioned cargo ships against “falsifying their identity” or flying flags from a nation other than the one in which the cargo ship is registered.

According to a prior statement from the Houthi military spokeswoman Yehia Sarea, the Iran-aligned organization targeted the tanker, the STRINDA, because it was transporting crude oil to an Israeli dock and because its crew had disregarded all warnings.

More than 1,000 miles from their headquarters of Sanaa, Yemen, the Houthis have entered the Israel-Hamas battle that has engulfed the whole area, assaulting ships in crucial shipping routes and shooting missiles and drones at Israel.

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