Yemen's Houthi Group Says It Will Target Israel-Owned Ships and Shipping Companies

The Ansar Allah (Houthi) Armed Forces said Sunday they will target all Israeli ships or companies that operate these ships, calling on all countries to withdraw their citizens who work on Israeli ships.

The Houthi  forces vowed in a statement that they would target any ship that carries the Israeli flag or any vessel operated by Israeli companies.

The group called on all countries to avoid dealing with Israeli ships or Israeli shipping companies, urging non-Israeli ships to keep distance from the Israeli ones.

According to the statement, these anti-Israel operations come out of religious, national and moral responsibility and in view of the brutal Israeli-American aggression in the Gaza Strip.

On Thursday, November 16, the International Maritime Security Construct(IMSC) warned ships against traveling through Bab Al-Mandeb Strait in Yemen. The IMSC said in an advisory, "The approaches to the Bab al Mandeb continue to be an area of concern."

Last week, a U.S. warship shot down a drone in the Red Sea off Yemen. The drone was fired from Yemen, and it was heading toward the ship. Houthi officials said the drone belonged to them.

The Houthi group has lately deployed  military reinforcements in At Tuhayta district to the south of Al-Hudaydah province as part of its military preparation for potential escalation after its missile attacks on Israel and its recent declaration of downing a U.S. drone off the Red Sea. A military expert told Sheba Intelligence that the group used the Iranian Khordad-3 Air Defense System to down the American drone.

Houthi naval missiles were transported from several areas over the past weeks, particularly from Bajil district of Al-Hudaydah, and were been deployed near the Red Sea coast. This would enable the group to threaten trade routes and international forces in the Red Sea, informed sources previously told Sheba Intelligence.