Latest news with #HouthiMilitia
Yemen Online
6 days ago
- Business
- Yemen Online
Houthi Rebels reports US$1.4 billion loss in Yemen's Red Sea ports due to airstrikes
Aden - Houthi Militia in Yemen disclosed on Sunday that the major Red Sea ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa incurred substantial losses amounting to approximately $1.4 billion from July 2024 to May this year, attributed to airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel. During a press conference held in Hodeidah, the Houthi-controlled Red Sea Ports Corporation highlighted the devastating impact of the airstrikes on civilian port infrastructure and operational facilities. The attacks resulted in the destruction of critical infrastructure such as docks, main cranes, power stations, generators, and logistical facilities across the three key ports. The corporation further detailed the extensive damage inflicted upon essential facilities, including floating docks, tugboats, and warehouses dedicated to unloading vital supplies like food, relief aid, and medical provisions. Urging immediate support for reconstruction efforts, the corporation emphasised the urgent need to restore operational capabilities to facilitate humanitarian aid delivery. The conflict escalated with the Houthis targeting Israel and Israeli-affiliated vessels since November 2023, in a symbolic show of solidarity with Palestinians amidst the conflict in Gaza. In response, Israel initiated airstrikes on Houthi targets, triggering a cycle of retaliatory actions. The United States joined the fray in January 2024, conducting regular air raids and strikes on Houthi positions as part of a collaborative effort to curb the armed group's activities. In retaliation, the Houthis broadened their attacks to include U.S. vessels, intensifying the conflict dynamics in the region. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump issued a directive in mid-March for 'decisive and powerful military action' against the Houthis following their announcement of plans to resume assaults on Israeli vessels in the Red Sea.
Asharq Al-Awsat
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Israel Says it Intercepted Missile Fired by Yemen's Houthis
The Israeli military said it intercepted a missile fired by Yemen's Houthi militias on Sunday. The missile triggered air raid sirens in Jerusalem and other areas, the Israeli military said earlier. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. The Iran-backed Houthis have launched repeated missile attacks targeting Israel as well as international shipping in the Red Sea, portraying it as a response to Israel's offensive against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Most of the targeted ships had no relation to Israel or the conflict. The United States halted a punishing bombing campaign against the Houthis earlier this month, saying the militias had pledged to stop attacking ships. That informal ceasefire did not include attacks on Israel.
Arab News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Maritime security under threat from ‘emerging dangers,' UN chief warns
NEW YORK CITY: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of rising threats to global maritime transport at a high-level Security Council meeting on Tuesday. It follows almost two years of turmoil in the Red Sea, a vital shipping lane connecting global trade via the Suez Canal. Yemen's Houthi militia launched a campaign in late 2023 to prevent Israel-linked shipping from transiting the Red Sea, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. The US responded with Operation Prosperity Guardian, a military campaign to target Houthi launch sites and infrastructure. The EU contributed with EUNAVFOR Aspides, while Israel later responded to Houthi attacks with extensive strikes on Sanaa, Yemen's capital, and the Houthi-controlled port city of Hodeidah. Tuesday's Security Council meeting was chaired by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister. Guterres told the meeting: 'Without maritime security, there can be no global security. 'From time immemorial, maritime routes have bound the world together. They have long been the primary means for the trade and transport of not only people, goods and commodities, but also cultures and ideas.' However, maritime spaces are 'increasingly under strain' from traditional threats and 'emerging dangers,' Guterres added. He highlighted contested boundaries, the depletion of natural resources, conflict and crime as key issues affecting maritime security. The first quarter of 2025 saw a 'sharp upward reversal' in reported piracy and armed robbery at sea, Guterres said. He highlighted the Houthi Red Sea campaign, warning it had 'disrupted global trade and increased tensions in an already volatile region.' Earlier this month, the US reached a ceasefire deal with the Houthis following mediation by Oman. However, the militia and Israel continue to trade strikes. Guterres called for three measures to improve global maritime security: Respect for international law; efforts to address the root causes of maritime insecurity; and partnerships involving 'everyone with a stake in maritime spaces.' The international legal framework for maritime security 'is only as strong as states' commitment' to its implementation, he said. Globally, more must be done 'to reduce the likelihood that desperate people will turn to crime and other activities that threaten maritime security,' he added. Guterres said: 'We must involve everyone with a stake in maritime spaces. From coastal communities to governments and regional groups. To shipping companies, flag registries, the fishing and extraction industries, insurers and port operators. 'Let's take action to support and secure maritime spaces, and the communities and people counting on them.'
Al Arabiya
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
US defense secretary scraps visit to Israel: Reports
The US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has scrapped a visit to Israel that was put together in recent days, Israeli media reported on Friday. Hegseth was planning to travel to Israel in the days ahead of President Donald Trump's visit to the Gulf next week, sources familiar with his travel plans said. But on Friday, Israeli media reported that the trip had been canceled without elaborating. The Pentagon had not made any official announcements regarding his travel to Israel, but it is expected that he will travel with Trump next week for the president's first official overseas visit, which will take him to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Israeli officials have been caught by surprise multiple times since Trump took office, despite a widespread belief that the US president would accept embattled Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans for the region. In recent days, Trump made a surprise announcement that the US and Yemen's Houthi militia had agreed to a ceasefire in the Red Sea. And despite the announcement coming hours after Israel responded to a Houthi attack on Ben Gurion Airport, the truce did not include stopping Houthi attacks on Israel. Last month, Trump revealed that the US and Iran were engaging in talks to reach a new nuclear deal. Sitting next to Trump in the Oval Office, Netanyahu was visibly surprised. And before that, the Trump administration engaged in direct talks with Hamas over the release of American hostages being held in Gaza, much to the chagrin of Netanyahu and his government. One common theme the US and Israel agree on is not allowing Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. Netanyahu has been lobbying for a direct strike on Iran's nuclear facilities but was held back last month by Trump. Trump has threatened military force if Iran does not agree to a new deal. The fourth round of talks between Washington and Tehran is expected to be held in the coming weeks. Trump's special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, has been accused by many pro-Israeli sides in Washington of being weak and appeasing Iran. Witkoff hit back at critics during an interview aired on Friday and said Trump does not think military force is 'productive in many circumstances.' In the interview with Breitbart News, Witkoff said attacks on his negotiations with Iran were a result of a 'neocon element' that 'believes war is the only way to solve things.'
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Israel Downs Drone as Houthis Vow to Continue Tit-for-Tat Strikes
Israel said it had shot down a drone that was approaching from the east on Wednesday, as Houthi officials in Yemen vowed to continue attacking the country a day after President Trump said the United States would stop bombing the Iran-backed group. The Israeli military said in a statement that the drone was intercepted by the air force and sirens blared as it approached. It was not immediately clear who launched the drone. But the Houthi militia group reiterated that it would continue to attack Israel, both to avenge attacks in Yemen and because of the war in Gaza. 'We cannot accept Yemen being targeted and violated without a response,' Mohamed Abdelsalam, a spokesman for the group, told Al Jazeera, the Qatari broadcaster, echoing comments by a senior Houthi politician on Tuesday. 'We will continue to respond to the Israeli entity by all available means.'
