DUBAI: Yemen’s Houthis on Thursday sent insurers and shippers formal notice of what they termed a ban on ships linked to Israel, the United States and Britain from sailing in surrounding seas, seeking to reinforce their military drive-in support of Palestinians.
The move to prohibit such vessels from the Red Sea, Arabian sea, and Gulf of Aden came as British maritime agencies reported a missile strike set ablaze a cargo vessel off the southern coast of Yemen.
Houthi militants in Yemen have carried out repeated drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Bab Al-Mandab Strait since November in support of Palestinians, as the Israel-Hamas war continues and the Gaza death toll reaches almost thirty-thousand.
Houthi attacks disrupt global maritime traffic
The Houthi attacks have disrupted a route accounting for about 12% of global maritime traffic and forcing companies to take a longer, more expensive route around Africa.
The Houthis’ communication, the first to the shipping industry outlining a formalized restriction, came in the form of 2 notices from the Houthis’ newly-dubbed Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC) sent to shipping insurers and firms.
Vessels that are wholly or partially owned by Israeli individuals or entities and Israel-flagged ships, or are owned by British or US individuals and entities, or sailing under their flags, are banned from the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, and Arabian Sea, the notices said.
The strikes have already sent shipping insurance premiums rocketing, and the Houthi agency’s newly-formalized ban could further affect prices.
