Yemen’s Ansarullah resistance movement says the United States has failed in its plans to protect Israeli vessels cruising through the Red Sea waters, stating that the commercial ships have no option but to redirect their routes and avoid getting struck by Yemeni attacks in retaliation for the bloody war on the Gaza Strip.
Ali al-Qahoum, a member of Ansarullah's political bureau, told Lebanon’s Arabic-language al-Mayadeen television news network on Friday that Yemeni Armed Forces stand seriously committed to the international law and maritime navigation, and have vowed to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea until attacks on Gaza cease completely.
He went on to sharply criticize Washington for its “aggression and criminal behavior” towards the Yemeni nation over their unflinching support for Gazans and the Palestinian cause.
The senior Ansarullah official highlighted that the failure of American attempts to protect Israeli ships in the Red Sea has forced the regime to redirect its ships and send them elsewhere.
Al-Qahum also said that the Yemeni operations had a major impact on the regional equation as they "changed the balance of power and surprised America, the West, and the Zionists."
Back on December 3, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for Yemeni Armed Forces, stated that Israeli ships Unity Explorer and Number Nine had been hit in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait earlier that day.
He detailed that the first ship came under a naval missile strike, while the second was hit by a drone after disregarding warnings from Yemeni naval units.
“In support of the Palestinian nation, we’ve disrupted the passage of Zionist enemy ships,” Saree affirmed, emphasizing the commitment of Yemeni forces to blocking Israeli vessels in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea until Gaza attacks halt.
“Today, we are in a decisive fight against the US and the Zionist enemy and we will continue this until attacks on Gaza are stopped,” he said.
Yemeni forces have previously launched missile and drone attacks on Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories since the Gaza aggression began in early October.
The targeting of ships with links to Israel in Yemen's waters has prompted Israeli shipping companies to reroute their vessels to avoid potential Yemeni force attacks.
Saree warned of Yemen's readiness to retaliate against any attacks by the US, Israel, and their regional allies, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.