- Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi fighters have hijacked a so-called Israeli ship in the Red Sea and brought it to the Yemeni coast. They described all Israeli ships as “legitimate targets”.
- “The Yemeni Armed Forces reiterate their warning to all ships belonging to or related to the Israeli enemy that they will become a legitimate target for the armed forces,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said on social media on Sunday.
- According to Portal, Japan’s top government spokesman confirmed on Monday the hijacking of the Nippon Yusen-operated ship Galaxy Leader.
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Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi fighters have hijacked a so-called Israeli ship in the Red Sea and brought it to the Yemeni coast. They described all Israeli ships as “legitimate targets”.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces reiterate their warning to all ships belonging to or related to the Israeli enemy that they will become a legitimate target for the armed forces,” Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said said on social media on Sunday.
He called on the international community to avoid cooperation with Israeli vessels or Israeli-owned vessels.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they will continue to conduct military operations against the Israeli enemy until the aggression against Gaza ends,” the spokesman said.
According to Portal, Japan’s top government spokesman confirmed on Monday the hijacking of the Nippon Yusen-operated ship Galaxy Leader. Tokyo is now appealing to the Houthis to release the ship and asking Saudi, Omani and Iranian authorities for help.
Data from Marinetraffic.com suggests the 21-year-old cargo ship is sailing under the Bahamas flag.
“The hijacking of a cargo ship by the Houthis near Yemen in the southern Red Sea is a very serious incident of global concern,” the Israeli military said said on social media.
“The ship left Turkey en route to India, crewed by civilians of various nationalities, excluding Israelis. It’s not an Israeli ship.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office qualified the ship as owned by a British company and operated by a Japanese company and said there were no Israelis on the ship.
“This is another act of Iranian terrorism that represents a step forward in Iran’s aggression against the citizens of the free world and has international implications for the security of global shipping lanes,” Netanyahu said, according to a Google translation.
Iran, which supports the anti-Israel Houthis and Hamas groups, denied claims of involvement in the ship’s hijacking, according to Google-translated comments from Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani, which were carried by the state-run Islamic News Agency Republic were spread.
“We have repeatedly stated that the resistance forces in the region represent their countries and make decisions based on the interests of their country and nation. They act spontaneously,” he said.
Iran itself is no stranger to capture at sea – its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has often hijacked foreign ships near the Strait of Hormuz to exert political pressure. Nevertheless, since October 7, Tehran has been celebrating the achievements of the so-called “resistance” militant groups acting against Israel, while maintaining their distance and emphasizing their autonomy.
Since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Iran has repeatedly denounced Israel’s campaign in Gaza, accused the country of human rights abuses and called on Muslim countries to cut ties and impose an oil embargo.
The seizure of the ship was a “practical step that demonstrates the seriousness of the armed forces in waging the battle,” Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam told the main Houthi-run television station, according to a Google translation.
Iran’s involvement and firefights between Israel and the Houthi and Hezbollah groups, as well as the Tehran-backed regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, have heightened concerns that the war against Hamas could lead to a wider conflict in the Middle East .