Responding to the U.N. Security Council’s demand for Yemen’s Houthi rebels to immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the spokesman for the militant group in Yemen, Mohammed Abdul Salam said on Thursday that the UN’s resolution is a mere “political game.” It added that the US is the one who is violating international law. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution, despite abstentions from Russia and China, calling for an immediate end to attacks by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea.
In a post on social media platform X, Al-Houthi said that the Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, were doing exactly what comes within the framework of legitimate defense. He also called upon the UN Security Council to immediately release 2.3 million people from the Israeli-American siege in Gaza.
The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group has vowed to attack ships coming or going to Israel in a show of support for Hamas terrorists. However, it is pertinent to mention here that many of the ships that were targeted had no links to Israel.
Notably, a US-led task force has been defending vessels in the Red Sea along with its allies, while also cautioning Houthi against escalating tensions. The US Central Command on Wednesday stated that there have been 26 Houthi strikes on shipping vessels since November 9, forcing shipping companies to change the route and instead divert to South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. According to the International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch, the route, circumnavigating Africa, saw a 67.5% jump in shipping as compared to the same period last year.
Moreover, the continuous attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea have caused companies to avoid the Suez Canal, a key source of revenue for Egypt, which is battling a deep economic crisis. IMF figures show that 35% less cargo was transported through the Suez Canal in the first week of 2024 compared with the same period last year. If the pattern continues, Egypt will be at a loss because the Suez Canal, a man-made waterway, that officially opened in 1869, had helped the country in earning $9.4 billion in transit fees in the fiscal year 2022-23.
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