The US and various international allies, including Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the UK, issued a joint statement on Wednesday, the 3rd of January, warning Houthi militants of “consequences” if they continue to threaten lives and disrupt trade flows in the Red Sea, according to Politico.
Seafarers transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, an important shipping lane linking Europe with Asia, in last weeks have faced frequent drone strikes, missile attacks and looting by Iranian-backed Houthi militants off the coast of Yemen.
The Houthis claim that they are only attacking ships linked to Israel in order to bring an end to the Gaza war. However, there have been numerous attacks on merchant ships in Red Sea waters, which have prompted Western countries, including the US Navy, to intervene.
Last week alone, the US Navy destroyed three ships carrying Houthi rebels in the Red Sea after they attempted to seize a container ship, according to Politico.
The joint statement released on Wednesday called the Houthi attacks “illegal, unacceptable and extremely destabilising”.
It called for an immediate end to the attacks, the release of illegally detained vessels and crew members, and warned that the Houthis would face the yet unnamed consequences if they continued to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of trade in the region’s crucial waterways.
Also read: Cargo carriers hide positions, consider other routes amid Red Sea attacks
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