Houthis declare 'total' ban on Israeli Red Sea navigation

Yemen’s Houthi movement declared on Monday that all Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea would face a "complete and total ban," citing ongoing Israeli military operations across the region. The group stated that vessels linked to Israel would once again be targeted in the waterway, according to a statement issued by Houthi military officials.

Missile strikes on Jaffa

The announcement followed missile attacks targeting sensitive locations in the Jaffa region, which the group claimed had achieved their objectives with precision. The strikes came in response to Israeli aggression in Iran, Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, and Yemen, the statement noted.

Escalation warnings

"We affirm that we will respond to escalation with escalation, and our military operations will intensify in accordance to the field developments," the statement said. It added that the Yemeni group "will not stand idly by in the face of the unjust siege imposed on our people and the peoples of the axis of jihad and resistance."

Regional airspace closure

The Houthi actions came as Israel temporarily closed its airspace on Monday after intercepting a missile launched from Yemen, according to Israel's Channel 12. The incident formed part of a wider pattern of escalation that saw Iran launch several missile barrages toward northern Israel late Sunday following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs, with Israel subsequently striking western and central Iran including Tehran, Isfahan, and Tabriz.