The international coalition formed by the U.S. to protect maritime navigation in the Red Sea is part of the aggression against the Palestinian people, the politburo of Yemen’s Houthi group said in a statement on Tuesday.
“The international coalition that America announced under the pretext of protecting maritime navigation in the Red Sea is an alliance to protect the Israeli entity and to protect Israeli ships. It is an integral part of the aggression against the Palestinian people, Gaza, and the Arab and Islamic nations,” the Houthis politburo said in a statement.
“It aims to encourage the Zionist entity to continue its brutal crimes against the Palestinian people in Gaza. This coalition contradicts international law and does not protect maritime navigation, but rather threatens it and seeks to militarize the Red Sea for the benefit of the Israeli entity,” it added.
“Yemen’s armed forces don’t represent any threat to any country, we only target Israeli ships or ships heading toward Israeli ports. We affirm our steadfast position in supporting the Palestinian people until Israel’s aggression ends, and siege on the Gaza strip is lifted.”
The United States on Monday announced a 10-nation coalition to confront Houthi missile and drone attacks on ships passing the Red Sea region beside the Yemeni seaboard.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin declared the formation of this maritime alliance along with Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, Spain and the UK.
This “multinational security initiative” proposes to ensure regular patrolling in the region to prevent Houthi attacks.
“Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor,” Austin said in a statement.
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have routinised attacks on tankers, cargo ships and other vessels in the Red Sea, carrying goods or services to Israel, in an attempt to pressure Israel over its genocidal war against Palestinians.
They had earlier attacked a few “Israeli-linked” vessels in the Red Sea in solidarity with Gaza
