Yemeni Houthis paralyze ships rout towards the Israeli port of Eilat
In recent days, the Houthis in Yemen have carried out attacks on ships in the Red Sea, which has greatly affected the commercial ships rout heading to the port of Eilat in southern Israel.
According to Axios website report, the arrival of ships to the Israeli port has been almost completely stopped.
The report explained that ships coming from Asia to Israel now follow a long route around Africa, making the journey more complex and expensive.
At the same time, ships heading to other ports outside Israel began using longer routes to reach Europe, with the aim of avoiding being targeted.
The Yemeni Houthis say that their blocking of ships and targeting of those passing by towards Israeli ports is related to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, which has been going on for more than two months.
In a statement issued two days ago after they targeted a Norwegian cargo ship, they announced their intention to prevent all ships of all nationalities heading to Israeli ports from navigating the Arab and Red Seas, until what our brothers in Gaza need in terms of food and medicine are brought in.
According to the Axios website report, the United States is expected to announce the start of a multinational naval task force in the Red Sea, with the aim of deterring the Houthis from carrying out further attacks and confronting them.
US officials reported that the Biden administration sent warning messages to the Houthis in Yemen through several channels, calling on them to stop their attacks on ships in the Red Sea and against Israel.
On the other hand, a senior Israeli official added that the task force won’t accompany ships in the Red Sea, but the presence of more naval ships in the region will make it easier to confront threats.
The United States believes that Iran is directly involved in the attacks launched by the Houthis, which are announced periodically.
Although the United States doesn’t consider itself in a state of conflict with the Houthis, it’s working to protect the region, freedom of navigation, and strengthen the military presence.
According to the deputy adviser to the White House National Security Council, Jonathan Finer, several countries in the region have joined the US initiative to protect security in the Red Sea.
According to the Axios website report, a senior Israeli official confirmed that the Israeli Defense Cabinet decided not to resort to military action at the present time, with the aim of not distracting the Israeli army’s attention away from the war in Gaza and avoiding creating a broader conflict in the region.
US officials explained that the White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, affirmed the United States’ commitment to protecting freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, during his meeting with Prime Minister Netanyahu and members of the War Council on Thursday.
