Houthi leader vows to escalate attacks on traders

Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Thursday the group would target ships from all companies involved in the delivery or transport of goods to Israel, regardless of their destination.

He said this was a fourth stage of escalation of retaliation for “Israeli aggression against Rafah” in the southern Gaza Strip.

“From now on, we are also thinking about the fifth and sixth phases and have very important, sensitive and influential decisions against the enemies,” he added.

Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forced companies to switch to longer and more expensive voyages in southern Africa and stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread across the Middle East.

In response to the attacks on shipping, the United States and Britain carried out strikes against Houthi targets.

(Reuters – Reporting by Clauda Tanios and Ahmed Tolba; Editing by Toby Chopra)