Houthis threaten ban on Israeli ships in Red Sea

Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said Monday that they would ban Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, adding to challenges for global shipping. The group said in a statement it had launched an attack on Israel and enacted a total ban on Israeli shipping in Red Sea, warning of further escalation. The Red Sea, leading to the Suez canal, is a key shipping lane in its own right, and during the Iran war has become the main alternative outlet for millions of barrels per day of West Asia oil sent by pipeline bypassing the Gulf. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis said Monday that they would ban Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, adding to challenges for global shipping. The group said in a statement it had launched an attack on Israel and enacted a total ban on Israeli shipping in Red Sea, warning of further escalation. The Red Sea, leading to the Suez canal, is a key shipping lane in its own right, and during the Iran war has become the main alternative outlet for millions of barrels per day of West Asia oil sent by pipeline bypassing the Gulf.(REUTERS)