Encouraged by the sinking of the first ship, the Houthis now insist that any ship entering its territorial waters needs a permit...
According to foreign media reports on March 5, the Houthi organization in Yemen announced that ships must apply for a permit from the Maritime Administration controlled by the Houthi armed forces before entering Yemeni waters. Yemen's waters span the Bab el-Mandab Strait, one of the shipping industry's most important chokepoints.
According to the report, Houthi "Telecommunications Minister" Numer said on March 4: "(We) can now accept license applications and will notify the Yemeni Navy of the ships that have obtained the license. We do this to ensure the safety of the ships. ."
On the same day, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saraya said that the Houthis "have the ability to launch attacks on civilian ships and warships in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea at the same time" and will increase the intensity of attacks until Israel stops its military operations in the Gaza Strip.
Sunken Rubymar
A potential environmental disaster is unfolding in nearby waters after the Rubymar sank over the weekend. The bulk carrier carrying 21,000 tons of fertilizer and fuel was hit by a Houthi missile on February 18 and sank on the night of March 1, local time.
