Houthis call on the US and UK
The Houthis in Yemen have called on the US and UK to "withdraw their military ships from the Red Sea."
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According to a report by the Houthi-affiliated SABA news agency, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthis' Supreme Political Council, delivered a speech during a military parade in Sanaa.
Al-Houthi stated that "the US-UK presence in the Red Sea is not to protect international maritime shipping as Washington and London claim, but to defend Israel, which is waging a war of genocide and forced displacement against the Palestinian people in Gaza."
Noting that the US should understand that the Houthis are not afraid when it bombs Houthi-controlled areas and claims to be acting in self-defense, al-Houthi stated that "any ship working against the Yemeni people will be sunk."
Al-Houthi described the threats from the US and UK as futile and called on them to "withdraw their ships from the Red Sea."
Al-Houthi also called on the US and UK to direct Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the attacks and lift the blockade on Gaza, describing this as the "right path."
The situation in the Red Sea
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen began seizing commercial ships they claimed were linked to Israeli companies off the coast of Yemen on October 31, citing their reaction to Israel's attacks on Gaza, and have also carried out attacks on some with drones and missiles.
US forces have announced several times during this process that they have shot down missiles and kamikaze drones launched from Yemen. Following the Houthis' actions, numerous shipping companies decided to suspend their voyages in the Red Sea.
On December 18, the US announced the formation of a multinational "maritime task force" called "Operation Prosperity Guardian" with the participation of a group of countries, citing the threat to global maritime trade security.
On December 31, three Houthi speedboats attempting to seize a ship linked to Israel in the Red Sea were fired upon by US helicopters. On January 10, the Houthis announced that a US ship in the Red Sea had been targeted with missiles and kamikaze drones on the grounds that it was supporting Israel.
On January 11, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution submitted by the US and Japan demanding an immediate end to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Approximately 12 percent of global trade is conducted via the Suez Canal, which offers the shortest route between Europe and Asia by connecting the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.