Ansarullah Leader Says US, UK Reduced Naval Presence in Red Sea

"Our operations have not decreased, as the Americans claim, presenting this as their achievement, but rather the movement of their warships has decreased. There has been an 80% reduction in the movement of US Navy ships, not our operations," Al-Houthi was quoted by Al-Masirah news channel as saying on the occasion of 200 days of hostilities in the Gaza Strip. 

Meanwhile, Al-Houthi said that since the beginning of hostilities in Gaza, they have attacked 102 Israeli-affiliated ships, an equivalent of one ship every two days. 

"The American and British enemies have failed to ensure the movement of Israel-bound ships despite constant and intensive monitoring. As long as the blockade and aggression against the Gaza Strip continues, operations in the Southern Red Sea will continue," Al-Houthi said. 

Moreover, the leader of the movement said that there was an ongoing effort to expand and strengthen operations in the Indian Ocean in ways that "the Americans, the British, the Israelis, and perhaps the rest of the world cannot envision." 

His statements came a day after the movement announced attacks on a US ship and a destroyer in the Gulf of Aden and an Israeli ship MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean after a week-long standoff. 

Yemen vowed in November 2023 to attack any ships associated with Israel until it halts military actions in the Gaza Strip.

More than 34,300 Palestinians have been killed and over 77,200 others wounded in the war that Tel Aviv began on October 7, 2023 following a retaliatory operation by the Palestinian territory’s resistance movements.

The United States and Britain began striking Yemen in January in order to dissuade the country from targeting Israeli ships which carry arms and logistics for the onslaught on the besieged Gaza Strip.