Red Sea crisis: US re-designates Houthis as 'terrorist' as rebels hit another US-operated ship
Houthis has said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and have threatened to expand attacks to include US ships in response to the American and British strikes. In a sign it remains undeterred, the Houthi movement on Wednesday said it made a "direct hit" with missiles on the US Genco Picardy bulk carrier. This second attack was confirmed by US shipping company Genco, saying that its ship was struck by a projectile while it was travelling through the Gulf of Aden carrying phosphate rock.
Genco said there were no injuries to crew and the ship suffered limited damage to its gangway and was on a course out of the area. "The naval forces will not hesitate to target all sources of threat in the Red and Arabian sea within the legitimate right to defend Yemen and to continue supporting the oppressed Palestinian people," the group's military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement as reported by Reuters. Earlier on Monday, Houthi forces struck the US-owned and operated dry bulk ship Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship ballistic missile.
There were no reports of injuries or significant damage. US officials said the "Specially Designated Global Terrorist" listing was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian, whose country backs Hamas in its war with Israel, said an end to the war in Gaza was needed to remove the threat to shipping.
"The security of the Red Sea is tied to the developments in Gaza, and everyone will suffer if Israel's crimes in Gaza do not stop ... All the (resistance) fronts will remain active," the foreign minister said at the World Economic Forum in Davos as quoted by Reuters. (With inputs from Reuters)M
. Read more on livemint.com
