Yemen's Houthi rebels have announced a new "total ban" on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea, as the conflict between Iran and Israel flared again on Sunday following Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
The Red Sea blockade, if enforced, would once again disrupt global shipping lanes © Mena Today
Yemen's Houthi rebels have announced a new "total ban" on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea, as the conflict between Iran and Israel flared again on Sunday following Israeli strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs.
"We consider all movements of the enemy to be legitimate military targets," Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree declared in a statement, threatening to "respond to escalation with escalation."
The Iran-backed group also claimed to have fired a "missile barrage" at Tel Aviv earlier in the day, the latest in a series of long-range strikes the Houthis have launched against Israel since the regional conflict erupted.
The announcements underscore the increasingly coordinated nature of Iran's network of proxies. As Iranian ballistic missiles target northern Israel and Hezbollah continues its attacks from Lebanon, the Houthis are simultaneously threatening maritime trade routes and striking Israeli cities, a multi-front pressure campaign designed to stretch Israel's defences and signal that Tehran's reach extends from Yemen to the Mediterranean.
The Red Sea blockade, if enforced, would once again disrupt global shipping lanes that handle a significant share of world trade, with potentially serious consequences for energy markets and supply chains.
By Siad Elmah
The new year began with a scandal. A documentary built on the testimony of twenty-four anonymous Israeli soldiers and intelligence officers won a prize in Venice and set off a fury at home. The chief of staff has ordered a legal hunt for the sources; the culture minister speaks of treason.
Qatar warned Tuesday that a closure of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, following its seizure by Yemen's Houthi rebels, would be "catastrophic" for the global economy.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman stressed the need to ensure freedom and security of navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea during talks on Tuesday, the Egyptian presidency said.
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