Houthis ban merchant ships from entering Yemen waters without permission

The Houthi-led administration's Telecommunications Minister, Misfir al-Numair, declared that merchant ships wishing to enter Yemen's territorial waters must first obtain permission from the Houthi Maritime Affairs Authority.

In November 2023, Yemen's Houthis announced their involvement in Hamas's conflict against Israel and commenced attacks on ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

They claim only vessels associated with Israel or destined for Israel are targeted.

To safeguard the freedom of navigation through the Suez Canal, a US-British coalition was established, with warships from EU nations also dispatched to the region. However, these forces have been unable to halt attacks on merchant ships.

On March 4, Houthi spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree reported an assault on the commercial ship MSC SKY in the Arabian Sea.

The Houthis allege that the targeted vessel, supposedly belonging to Israel, was struck by a missile.