Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels yesterday said that they would not halt attacks on Red Sea shipping despite the announcement by the US of a new maritime protection force.
“Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not stop ... no matter the sacrifices it costs us,” senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti wrote on social media.
He said the rebels would only halt their attacks if Israel’s “crimes in Gaza stop and food, medicines and fuel are allowed to reach its besieged population.”
Photo: Reuters/ Houthi Military Media
He spoke after US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday announced a 10-nation coalition to quell Houthi missile and drone attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea, with Britain, France, Bahrain and Italy among the nations joining the “multinational security initiative.”
“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” Austin said in a statement.
The security coalition would operate “with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity,” it said.
It includes the US, UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, Austin said.
The Houthi rebels earlier said that they had attacked two “Israeli-linked” vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza, as more companies halt transit through the troubled, but vital waterway.
The attacks on the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic and another ship identified by the Houthis as the MSC Clara are the latest in a flurry of maritime incidents that are disrupting global trade in an attempt to pressure Israel over its war against Hamas.
Taiwan’s three largest cargo container shipping firms on Monday announced a suspension of sailings through the Red Sea.
Evergreen Marine Corp (長榮海運), Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp (陽明海運) and Wan Hai Lines Ltd (萬海航運) followed international shipping counterparts in diverting or canceling passages of the high-risk maritime area.
In a statement, Evergreen Marine said it has temporarily stopped accepting any Israel-bound cargo and suspended its shipping service to Israel until further notification.
Evergreen Marine said ships on regional services to Red Sea ports would sail to safe waters nearby, pending a decision on whether to adjust the ports of call on the services.
On long-haul routes connecting Asia to the Mediterranean, Europe and the east coast of the US, Evergreen Marine said that its cargo ships scheduled to pass through the Red Sea would be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.
Meanwhile, Yang Ming Marine said in an online advisory that ships sailing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden or due to pass through the area in the next two weeks would be diverted around the Cape of Good Hope or temporarily anchored at a safe location.
Wan Hai Lines also announced the suspension of services through the Red Sea, saying in a statement that vessels in the area would sail to safe waters until further notice. It added that vessels bound for the east coast of the US would be rerouted around the Cape of Good Hope.
Additional reporting by CNA
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