Yemen’s Houthi rebels have declared a new policy to confine their Red Sea attacks to vessels linked to Israel, coinciding with the ongoing ceasefire in Gaza, now in its second day.
This strategic shift, communicated to shippers on Sunday, is unlikely to reassure global shipping companies enough to re-engage with the critical maritime corridor, which has seen its traffic slashed by half due to previous Houthi actions, severely impacting Egypt’s revenue from the Suez Canal.
Jakob P. Larsen from BIMCO expressed concerns about the ceasefire’s vulnerability, indicating that any deviations could quickly escalate into renewed hostilities, potentially leading the Houthis to widen their target range once again.
The announcement was made by the Houthis’ Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center, which also hinted at possible resumed actions against the United States and the United Kingdom, both of whom have targeted the rebels in airstrikes.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza in October 2023, which has claimed significant casualties on both sides, the Houthis have attacked over 100 merchant ships.
Their campaign has included seizing and sinking vessels and has resulted in the deaths of four sailors. Despite claims of targeting only ships connected to Israel, the U.S., or the U.K., many of the attacked vessels had little to no direct involvement in the conflict.
Recent weeks have seen a slowdown in Houthi maritime attacks, potentially due to increased U.S. airstrikes, which have numbered over 260 against the Houthis.
The situation remains fraught with uncertainty, especially with the recent inauguration of Donald Trump, who may reconsider designating the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization, a status previously revoked by President Joe Biden. This potential move could reignite hostilities in the region.
