Houthis promise safe passage for Russian, Chinese ships

A senior Houthi official has promised safe passage for Russian and Chinese vessels through the Red Sea, where the Iran-backed Yemeni militant group has been carrying out attacks on commercial ships in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

In an interview published by Russian outlet Izvestia on January 19, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti insisted the waters around Yemen – which some shipping firms are avoiding due to the ongoing aggression – were safe so long as vessels were not linked to certain countries, particularly Israel, Agence France-Presse reports, The Guardian reports.

The Houthi official said: "As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their shipping in the region is not threatened. Moreover, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their ships in the Red Sea, because free navigation plays a significant role for our country."

Attacks on vessels "in any way connected with Israel" would continue, he added.

The Iran-backed militants have recently said US- and British-linked ships were also fair game after the two countries launched airstrikes in Yemen in response to the repeated attacks.

The Houthis insist their attacks only target vessels of certain nationalities, but a US Navy commander has said the ships involved actually have ties to dozens of countries.

The Houthis early on January 19 claimed another attack on a US ship after the US launched fresh strikes on militant targets the day before.

In the January 19 interview, Bukhaiti said the blame for the shipping attacks rested with the vessels that ignored Houthi orders to change course.

"Our goal is to raise the economic costs for the Jewish state in order to stop the carnage in Gaza," he said.