Houthi ship attacks will continue until Gaza is no longer blockaded, group leader says

Attacks on commercial ships by Houthi rebels in Yemen will continue until the blockade on Gaza is lifted, the group's leader said in a speech.

They also threatened the US and its allies.

Houthi rebels have stepped up their attacks on commercial ships travelling through the Red Sea, in a show of support for Hamas' attacks on Israel.

They have used drone and anti-ship missiles to attack vessels, and in one instance used a helicopter to board and seize an Israeli-owned ship and its crew.

BP and Maersk recently paused all shipments through the Red Sea out of safety concerns for crews.

The Houthi rebels are Shi-a Islamist rebels based in the west of Yemen.

The group strongly opposes the influence Israel, the US, and other western countries have over the Middle East.

They are backed by Iran and control much of Yemen's west coast, right down to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.

The strait, which translates as “Gate of Tears”, is a significant shipping route between Asia and Europe, and accounts for between 10% and 12% of global maritime trade.

The United States launched an operation to protect ships travelling through the Red Sea in the last week, with the UK, France, Bahrain, Canada and Norway among the nations set to join the international taskforce.

Avoiding the Red Sea altogether could add up to ten extra days to voyages, experts have said.

The knock-on impact could be higher supermarket and petrol prices as a result of the congestion in supply chains.

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