Houthis assure safe passage to Russia, China ships in Red Sea

Yemen’s Houthis promised Russia and China that their ships would not be targeted as they transited the Red Sea, a senior figure from the group said on Sunday, a day after it reportedly fired five missiles at a Chineseowned oil tanker.

In an interview with Al-Masirah TV on Sunday, Mohammed Ali AlHouthi, a member of the Supreme Political Council, said the Iran-backed militia called the Russian and Chinese embassies in Yemen and sent delegations to both countries to guarantee their ships’ safe passage.

“There are communications with the Russians and Chinese and they were reassured through their embassies and through the brothers who went there,” he said.

Since November, the Houthis have seized a commercial ship and launched hundreds of drones, missiles and remotely operated boats against foreign commercial and navy vessels in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden.

They claim to target only vessels with links to or bound for Israel in a bid to pressure the country into allowing essential humanitarian aid, such as food and water, to enter the Gaza Strip.

The US Central Command said the Houthis on Saturday fired five ballistic missiles at M/V Huang Pu, a Chinese-owned and operated oil tanker sailing under the Panamanian flag, which caused only “minimal damage.” A fire was quickly extinguished and there were no injuries to the crew.

According to MarineTraffic, a website that provides information about ships’ positions and destinations, the Houthis targeted the tanker, which had set sail from Russia, despite it issuing a message that it had a Chinese owner and crew.

Meanwhile, Yemeni government officials and human rights advocates have condemned the Houthis for killing civilians in the besieged city of Taiz.