Yemen’s Houthis warn 64 vessel owners over Israeli port links, banning passage in key waters.
In a fresh escalation in the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi movement has issued direct warnings to 64 shipowners, accusing them of breaching its self-declared “blockade” of Israeli ports. The letters, sent by the group’s Humanitarian Operations Coordination Centre (HOCC), were described as “pre-penalty notices” and did not name the targeted companies.
The move follows a 27 July declaration by the Houthis that they would target any vessel linked to companies trading with Israel’s ports, regardless of the ship’s flag or nationality. According to the HOCC, vessels owned by the notified companies are now banned from transiting the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea, and risk being “targeted wherever they fall within the reach of the Yemeni Armed Forces.” The group also warned it could expand its targeting to entities doing business with those shipowners.
After a lull in the first half of 2025, Houthi attacks have surged in recent weeks. In early July, strikes destroyed the bulk carriers Magic Seas and Eternity C. The international Combined Maritime Taskforce (CMT) now rates the threat level to ships linked to Israel as “critical” and the overall Houthi threat to commercial shipping as “severe.” Naval security sources believe an attack on vessels fitting the Houthis’ new criteria is likely in the coming weeks.
Source: Seatrade Maritime
