Yemen’s Houthis threaten to target ships linked to firms dealing with Israeli ports

(Reuters) -Yemen’s Houthis said on Sunday they would target any ships belonging to companies that do business with Israeli ports, regardless of their nationalities, as part of what they called the fourth phase of their military operations against Israel.

In a televised statement, the Houthis’ military spokesperson warned that ships would be attacked if companies ignored their warnings, regardless of their destination.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces call on all countries, if they want to avoid this escalation, to pressure the enemy to halt its aggression and lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip,” he added.

Since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking ships they deem as bound or linked to Israel in what they say are acts of solidarity with Palestinians.

In May, the U.S. announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

(Reporting by Hatem Maher and Muhammad Al Gebaly; editing by Diane Craft and Marguerita Choy)