The Houthi armed forces minister said that the ships must obtain permission from the waters controlled by the Houthi armed forces in Yemen.
Cairo:
Houthi Telecommunications Minister Misfer Noumayr said on Monday that ships must obtain permission from Yemen’s Houthi-controlled Maritime Authority before entering Yemeni waters.
Since mid-November, the Houthis have repeatedly launched drones and missiles at international merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden, claiming that their actions were in solidarity with the Palestinians and against Israel’s attack on Gaza.
The near-daily attacks have forced businesses to make lengthy and costly relocations across southern Africa and raised concerns that a war between Israel and Hamas could destabilize the entire Middle East. In response, the United States and Britain bombed Houthi targets.
Half of the territorial waters affected by the Yemeni order extend into the 20-kilometer (12-mile) wide Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow mouth of the Red Sea through which about 15% of the world’s shipping traffic passes. Or from the Suez Canal.
Al Masirah TV, Yemen’s main television news outlet run by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, said: “(We) are ready to assist in applying for licenses and identifying vessels of the Yemeni navy, which we confirm is due to concerns for their safety.” According to Al-Numair.
Hong Kong-based Hutchison Global Communications said on Monday that at least four underwater communications cables – Asia-Africa-Europe 1, Europe India Gateway, Seacom and TGN-Gulf – were damaged in the Red Sea last week, but did not say why.
It estimated the damage affected 25% of data traffic at the bottom of the Red Sea and said in a statement it had a plan in place to reroute traffic.
Numer’s electricity ministry on Saturday blamed the cable damage on attacks by the United States and Britain.
In the latest incident, Britain’s Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday it had received reports of two explosions on a ship 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden, damaging but causing no casualties and that the ship was on its way to the next port of call. .
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