The leader of Yemen’s rebels, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, threatened Thursday to respond to any American attack in the Red Sea with even “bigger” operations than that claimed by his movement on Wednesday.
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7 between Israel and Palestinian Hamas, the Houthi rebels have increased attacks against merchant shipping in the Red Sea, claiming to target ships linked to Israel in solidarity with the population of the territory. Palestinian.
Israel’s first ally, the United States, set up an international coalition in December to protect maritime traffic from these attacks in this strategic area where 12% of world trade passes.
“Any American attack will not go unanswered. And [la réponse] will not be of the order of the operation carried out recently with more than 24 drones and several missiles, but more important than that,” said Abdel Malek al-Houthi in a speech broadcast by Al-Massirah television.
US and British forces shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by the Houthis on Tuesday evening, in an attack described as unprecedented in scale in the area.
The rebels, close to Iran, claimed responsibility for the operation, saying they were responding to an intervention by the United States on December 31.
That day, responding to a request for assistance from a commercial ship, US Navy helicopters sank three rebel boats, killing ten crew members.
“Europeans, China and the whole world” can cross the Red Sea without “any problem,” said Abdel Malek al-Houthi.
But “those who want to get involved […] and target naval forces [des Houthis] really endanger their fleet and their commercial ships,” he added, accusing the United States of seeking to “drag the others.”
He said he hoped that the “rest of Arab and Muslim countries will never get involved alongside the Americans, the Israelis and the British”.
On Wednesday, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution prepared by the United States and Japan, demanding an “immediate” end to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.