War between Israel and Hamas: US and allies warn Houthi militia against attacks on shipping
A dozen countries, including the United States, warned the Houthi militia in Yemen on Wednesday of unspecified consequences if it continued to attack shipping in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest commercial routes.
“The Houthis will bear responsibility for the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of trade in the region’s critical waterways,” the United States and allies said. in a joint statement released by the White House. “We remain committed to the international rules-based order and determined to hold malicious actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks.”
The statement does not elaborate on what measures can be taken. The allied countries that signed the declaration were Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Great Britain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
Also on Wednesday, the United States accused Iran, which has supplied weapons and intelligence to the Houthis, of direct and indirect involvement in the attacks on the Red Sea.
“We cannot overlook the root of the problem: Iran has long enabled these attacks by the Houthis,” Christopher P. Lu, member of the US Mission to the United Nations, said at a Security Council meeting on Wednesday . The municipality has taken no action on this point.
“We also know that Iran has been deeply involved in planning operations against commercial ships in the Red Sea,” Ambassador Lu added.
The Houthis, like Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Palestinian territories, are supported by Iran, and together with Iran and Syria form what has been called the ‘axis of resistance’ against Israel and the United States. After years of a protracted civil war in Yemen against a government backed by Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally often at odds with Iran, the Houthis exert de facto control over most of northern Yemen.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas began nearly three months ago, Hezbollah has stepped up rocket attacks on northern Israel and launched drones and missiles from Yemen toward Israel, raising fears of a broader regional war.
The Houthis have also repeatedly fired at commercial ships sailing to and from the Suez Canal — more than 20 times, Ambassador Lu said. The statement from the United States and its allies cited “attacks against ships, including commercial ships, using unmanned aerial vehicles, small boats and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such ships.”
On November 19, the Houthis arrived a cargo ship and its crew seized – the British-owned, Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader. The militia is still holding them.
Houthi attacks damaged several ships but sank none. American troops patrol the region on Sunday sank three Houthi boats which officials said attacked a commercial ship, as well as the Americans who came to her aid.
“We remain incredibly concerned, as we have been from the beginning of this conflict, about the risk of the conflict spreading to other fronts,” Matthew Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of State, told reporters on Wednesday.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a daily briefing in Beijing on Thursday that China wants security in the Red Sea. But he did not respond directly when asked why China had not signed the joint statement by the United States and 11 of its allies.
“China has always advocated maintaining the safety of international waterways and opposed attacks on civilian ships,” Wang said.
Normally, 15 percent of world trade passes through the Red Sea-Suez route, Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organization, a branch of the UN, told the Security Council.
But many shipping companies have stopped using that passage and are instead sending ships around the southern tip of Africa. Mr Dominguez said taking this route adds 10 days to travel, slowing trade and raising prices worldwide.
Keith Bradsher And Siyi Zhao reporting contributed.