Red Sea Roulette: Yemen’s Houthis to Monitor Ceasefire, But Ships Remain at Risk

The leader of Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said on Thursday his group will monitor the implementation  of   ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas aimed at ending the 15-month war in Gaza and continue its attacks if it is breached.

The Houthis, who had on an almost weekly basis targeted ships using ballistic missiles and drones in waters near Yemen’s shores to show their solidarity with the Palestinians, had long said they would cease these operations if the 15-month conflict ended. 

The ceasefire is expected to take hold on Sunday.(19 Jan ’25)

“We will continue to monitor developments in Palestine during the three days prior to the entry into force of the Gaza agreement. If the Israeli massacres continue, we will continue our operations,” Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech. “At any stage in which the aggression retreats from the agreement, we will be ready to provide military support to our Palestinian brothers,” he said.

Shipping Giants Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd See no Immediate Return to Red Sea

The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships since November 2023 and have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers. The intensity of the attacks has disrupted global shipping and prompted route changes.

Thursday’s announcement was a setback after earlier expectations among some maritime security sources that the group would halt attacks on ships.

Other shipping industry sources said they would wait to see whether any ceasefire by the Houthis would be honored and were not yet preparing to resume voyages through the Red Sea. “Given the ongoing uncertainty and fragility of the situation, shippers should continue to exercise caution and closely monitor developments in the region,” said Laura-May Scott, partner at law firm Reed Smith.

The attacks have disrupted international commerce, forcing some ships to take the long route around southern Africa rather than the Suez Canal, leading to increases in insurance rates, delivery costs and time that stoked global inflation fears.

The Houthis, who control most parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa since seizing power in late 2014, have also launched missiles and drones towards Israel, hundreds of kilometers to the north. Israel has responded by striking Houthi areas on several occasions, including last week when its warplanes bombed two ports and a power station.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month Israel was only at the beginning of its campaign against the Houthis. The United States alongside Britain launched a multinational operation in December 2023 to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea, and have repeatedly conducted air strikes on Houthi strongholds targeting weapons storage facilities. The EU in February launched its own Red Sea mission to deter intensified Houthi attacks and help protect the key trade route.

The Houthis appear to be the latest standing component of Iran’s anti-Israel and anti-Western alliance of regional militias, known as the Axis of Resistance, which includes Hamas, Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Shi’ite armed groups in Iraq.

Israel has dealt serious blows to Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, killing their top leaders and reducing their arsenals. In the aftermath, the decades-long regime of Bashar al-Assad in Syria was also toppled.