Houthi claims Yemen’s waters are safe for vessels unless linked to specific countries, ensuring secure passage for Russian and Chinese ships. However, ongoing aggression prompts some shipping firms to avoid the area.
A senior Houthi official has promised safe passage for Russian and Chinese vessels through the Red Sea, where the Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group has been carrying out attacks on commercial ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
In an interview published by Russian outlet Izvestia on Friday, senior Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti insisted the waters around Yemen, which some shipping firms are avoiding due to the ongoing aggression, were safe so long as vessels were not linked to certain countries, particularly Israel.
“As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their shipping in the region is not threatened,” he said.
“Moreover, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their ships in the Red Sea, because free navigation plays a significant role for our country.”
Attacks on vessels “in any way connected with Israel” would continue, he added.
The Iran-backed rebels have recently said US and British-linked ships were also fair game after the two countries launched air strikes in Yemen in response to the repeated attacks.
The Houthis claimed early on Friday another attack on a US ship after the United States launched fresh strikes on rebel targets the day before.
Beijing on Friday emphasized the area was an “important international trade route for goods and energy.”
“We call for an end to the harassment of civilian vessels, in order to maintain the smooth flow of global production and supply chains and the international trade order,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.
In Friday’s interview, Bukhaiti said the blame for the shipping attacks rested with the vessels that ignored Houthi orders to change course.
“Our goal is to raise the economic costs for the Jewish state in order to stop the carnage in Gaza,” he said.
Katrine Dige Houmøller, with AFP
