Yemeni government condemns Houthi sea lane violations

Ships are seen at Saleef port in the western Red Sea Hodeida province, on May 13, 2019. (File/AFP)

• The Yemeni government called the Houthis’ endangerment of international sea lanes in the Red Sea is a terroristic act
• The Saudi-led Arab coalition destroyed two explosive-laden Houthi boats near a Hodeidah port this week

DUBAI: The Houthi militia’s endangerment of international sea lanes in the Red Sea is a terroristic act, a Yemeni minister said.
This cowardly act shows the militia’s literal application of Iran’s orders to close off the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandeb Strait to ships, Information Minister Muammar Al-Iryani said in a report from Saba New.
The Red Sea is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and is connected to the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea through the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, a chokepoint between the Horn of Africa and the Middle East being only 18 miles wide at its narrowest point.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition destroyed two explosive-laden Houthi boats near a Hodeidah port on Wednesday, highlighting the Houthis increasing threat to global shipping in the Red Sea.
Al-Iryani urged the international community to condemn the Iran-led militia’s terroristic activities and to take a hard stance against Iran for its actions which threaten regional and international stability.
Meanwhile, a Houthi ballistic missile fired on civilian areas in Marib city on Wednesday injured three children and a woman.
“Firing ballistic missiles on civilians and into populated areas is a grave escalation and violation of the international resolutions and norms… it amounts to a war crime,” Yemen’s Ministry of Human Rights was quoted by Saba New in a report.