Houthi Fighters Grant Safe Passage to Chinese and Russia Vessels During Red Sea Crisis
Jose Nino
|
A Houthi spokesperson recently announced that Russian and Chinese vessels will not be attacked in the Red Sea, as the rebel militants carry out attacks on ships connected to Israel.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti declared on January 19, 2024 that waters close to Yemen are safe so long as vessels are not connected to certain countries, specifically Israel, during an interview with Russian outlet Izvestia.
The Houthis have carried out missile attacks on ships across the Red Sea, ostensibly in response to Israel’s punitive military campaign in the Gaza Strip. Thus far, this brutal campaign has resulted in the deaths of 25,000 Palestinians, the overwhelming majority being children and women.
“As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their shipping in the region is not threatened,” al-Bukhaiti noted.
“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.”
The US and UK have responded by carrying out several attacks against Houthi units in Yemen, generating major furor in the country.
Senior Houthi officials confirmed that these incidents wouldn’t go “unpunished” and labeled American and British ships as “fair game” after the two countries carried out airstrikes against the rebels.
On top of that, al-Bukhaiti continued by noting that attacks against ships connected to Israel “will continue”, while spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam underscored that attacks will not be carried out against regional rivals such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
During an interview on January 19, al-Bukhaiti declared that the blame for the attacks against commercial vessels lay with the ships that ignored “Houthi orders to change course”.
“Ansar Allah [Houthis] does not pursue the goal of capturing or sinking this or that sea vessel,” he stated, invoking the group’s official name.
“Our goal is to raise the economic costs for the Jewish state in order to stop the carnage in Gaza.”
The present Red Sea crisis is the product of US intervention in the regime and its entangling alliance with Israel. There are consequences for the US sticking its nose wherever it’s not wanted.
To avoid future geopolitical blunders, it would behoove the US to retrench its foreign policy agenda and focus more on its domestic affairs.
Share: