AGI – The Houthis claim responsibility for today's attack on the American ship Chem Ranger off the coast of Yemen. That's what they claim fired “naval missiles” at the ship and hit it. “The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that retaliation against American and British attacks is inevitable and that any new aggression will not go unpunished,” the Houthi statement said.
No damage or injuries
The United States confirms through Central Command that “Iran-backed Houthi terrorists fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles” at the “Chem Ranger, a United States-flagged Marshall Islands-flagged vessel.” This is a tanker operated by Greece. Centcom points out that “No injuries or damage to the vessel were reported. The ship sailed on.” The crew observed “missiles hitting the water near the ship.”
The attacks will continue
The leader of the Houthis in Yemen, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, has promised to continue naval attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. “We will continue to attack ships linked to Israel,” al-Houthi said in his first public words since the United States and Britain launched air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen last week.
“Our operations will also include American and British ships,” al-Houthi warned on Arabic television Al Mayadeen. “The United States has not learned the lessons of the nine-year war against us,” he added.
Guaranteed passage for Russian and Chinese ships
Yemen's Houthi rebels, whose attacks disrupt shipping in the Red Sea, have done this I have guaranteed “safe passage” for Chinese and Russian ships on this strategic route. One of their leaders told the Russian newspaper Izvestia.
Since mid-November, the Houthis have carried out around thirty attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, reportedly targeting ships en route to Israel as a sign of “solidarity” with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. The United States, Israel's main ally, has formed a coalition to patrol Yemen's coasts and protect international maritime traffic.
The US military, with the support of British air power, has bombed Houthi targets in Yemen five times in the past week, in part with the aim of weakening the military capabilities of this Iranian-backed group.
“The folly and idiocy of the US and Britain worked against them: From now on, none of their ships will be able to cross one of the world's most important trade routes. “The losses for the aggressor countries are higher than those for Yemen,” said Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi political leadership. “For other countries, including China and Russia, maritime traffic in the region is not at risk. In addition, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their ships in the Red Sea,” he added.
“Israeli ships or those that have even a weak connection to Israel will not have the slightest chance of crossing the Red Sea,” al-Bukhaiti then warned, reiterating that the aim is to “reduce the economic cost to the to increase the Jewish state.” to stop the carnage in Gaza.
Finally, Al-Bukhaiti warned that the Houthis are preparing for various scenarios, including an American ground operation in Yemen.
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