New York: The U.N. Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, alerted the U.N. Security Council on Tuesday that the threat to international shipping in the Red Sea and its adjacent waterways from Yemen’s Houthis is escalating.
In his briefing on the situation in Yemen, Grundberg highlighted concerns over a potential regional escalation following recent events. These include new Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and the first Israeli airstrikes on Yemen in response to Houthi drone and missile assaults on Israel.
“I remain deeply concerned about the continued targeting of international navigation in the Red Sea and its surrounding waterways,” Grundberg stated. “Recent developments suggest that the threat against international shipping is increasing in scope and precision.”
Grundberg described the Houthi attacks on Israel and the subsequent Israeli retaliatory strikes on Yemen’s port of Hodeidah, as well as its oil and power facilities, as indicative of a “new and dangerous level” of violence.
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The conflict has led to commercial vessels being sunk or damaged, disrupting global trade, and resulting in civilian casualties. The Houthis continue to detain the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship they hijacked in November. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Britain have carried out airstrikes on military targets in Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen.
“It is alarming that there are no signs of de-escalation, let alone a solution,” Grundberg added.
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The Houthis have retaliated against Israel’s assault on Gaza by launching missiles and drones, affecting global trade through the Red Sea. Israel reports that the Iran-backed Houthis have conducted around 200 attacks since the conflict began, with many intercepted and most not resulting in fatalities.
However, a notable Houthi drone strike last Friday struck Tel Aviv, killing one person and leading Israel to conduct its first strikes against the group on Saturday. The airstrikes targeted near Hodeidah, resulting in six fatalities, according to local medics. Israel also reported shooting down a Houthi-launched missile on Sunday.
