Yemen's Houthi rebels threaten to escalate attacks on ships linked to companies dealing with Israel

Key Points

• The Houthi group in Yemen has announced plans to escalate attacks on merchant ships associated with companies that do business with Israel.
• These actions are framed as a response to the Israel-Hamas war, with the Houthis claiming to act in solidarity with the Palestinian people.
• The Houthis have warned that all ships linked to Israeli ports will be targeted, irrespective of the ships' nationalities or destinations.
• Previously, the Houthis attacked and sank two Greek-owned bulk carriers, resulting in multiple casualties, which highlights the seriousness of their threats to international shipping.

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Yemen's Houthi rebels said they will target merchant ships belonging to any company that does business with Israeli ports, regardless of nationality, as part of what they say is a new phase of their operations against Israel.

The Iran-backed Houthis launched a campaign targeting ships in response to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, saying they were doing so in solidarity with the Palestinians. Their attacks over the past two years have upended shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passes each year.

In an announcement late Sunday night, the Houthis said they had “decided to escalate their military support operations and begin implementing the fourth phase of the naval blockade” against Israel.

They warned that they would target “all ships belonging to any company that deals with the ports of the Israeli enemy, regardless of the nationality of that company, and in any location within the reach of our armed forces.” The vessels would be targeted regardless of their destination, they added.

The group said countries should pressure Israel to stop the war in Gaza and lift its blockade on the Palestinian territory “if they want to avoid this escalation.”

Earlier this month, the Houthis attacked and sank two Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carriers – the Magic Seas and the Eternity C. The attack on the latter killed four crew members and 11 others were taken captive. All 22 crew members of the Magic Seas were rescued before the ship sank.

The group released a video on Monday evening, showing the 11 captured Eternity C crew members. The footage, the first of its kind since the Houthi attacks started, shows the crew being taken off the boat as well as interviews with the captives.

From November 2023 to December 2024, the Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with missiles and drones. The rebels stopped their attacks during a brief ceasefire in the war and later became the target of an intense, weekslong airstrike campaign ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump.

In May, the United States announced a deal with the Houthis to end the airstrikes in return for an end to shipping attacks, although the rebel group said the agreement did not include halting attacks on targets it believed were aligned with Israel.