Houthis Warn 64 Shipowners, Renew Threats to Red Sea Shipping

Yemen’s Houthi movement has issued written “sanction notices” to 64 shipowners whose vessels have recently called at Israeli ports, warning that any ship entering the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden or Arabian Sea will be targeted. The notice, circulated in late July and confirmed by the group’s media arm, names specific container and bulk carriers and threatens to extend sanctions to firms that deal with the listed companies. The Houthis said they are actively tracking vessel traffic between Israel, Egypt and Turkey and identified nine ships operated by Maersk, MSC and Yang Ming as having violated what the group calls an Israeli blockade. Maritime security consultants also reported fresh electronic-warfare interference affecting navigation systems in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz. The renewed threats follow the early-July sinking of two Greek-owned bulk carriers, incidents that killed several seafarers and ended hopes of a sustained reopening of the route. According to data compiled by security agencies and publicly cited by the Washington Post, Houthi forces have carried out more than 145 attacks on merchant shipping since the campaign began late in 2023. Naval coalition forces, including the EU’s Operation Aspides, continue to escort commercial traffic, yet analysts note that large Chinese- and Greek-linked operators still dominated Bab el-Mandeb transits in July, suggesting limited early impact on trade flows. Shipowners are weighing longer, costlier voyages around the Cape of Good Hope against heightened risks in one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints.