Houthi supporters in Sanaa participate in a protest against the Israeli aggression on Gaza (Reuters)
The Yemeni Houthi group vowed, on Tuesday, to respond to "any European foolishness" to protect Israeli ships in the Red Sea, in response to the European Union's announcement of launching naval operations to protect navigation in this vital waterway.
In the first comment from the Houthis on the European announcement of the launch of a naval mission called “ASPEDS” to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea, a member of the group’s Supreme Political Council, Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi, said, “We tell the Europeans not to play with fire.”
He added in a tweet on the “X” platform, addressing European countries, “You do not need the support of the United States to protect the occupying entity (Israel), and take a lesson from Britain,” referring to the group’s targeting of a number of British ships that provide support to American and Israeli ships in the Red Sea.
He added, "Any foolishness you commit will befall your ships and navigation, and I may excuse those who warn. Your presence increases the militarization of the Red Sea, targets international shipping, and affects food supply chains for your countries' stores."
The European position comes against the backdrop of the attacks carried out by the Houthi group in solidarity with the Gaza Strip against the backdrop of the ongoing war against the Strip for about 5 months, under which Israel is being tried for the first time before international justice on charges of committing genocide, as its aggression left tens of thousands dead, injured, and displaced, as well as An unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe.
On the other hand, this group broadcast - late yesterday - scenes that it said were of the downing of an American MQ9 drone worth $30 million, after it was targeted with a missile in Hodeidah Governorate, western Yemen.
The scenes showed the American plane being spotted and the moment it was targeted by a home-made surface-to-air missile directly in the sky of Hodeidah Governorate, according to the Houthi-run Saba News Agency. The scenes highlighted the burning of the plane after it was targeted and its debris falling to the ground.
According to the agency, the drone that was shot down is among the most recent American drones and includes high technological specifications, including an advanced radar system and high-resolution cameras and sensors that can scan an area 360 degrees in diameter. The value of the plane, along with the control room, missiles and other devices, is $30 million.
In solidarity with Gaza, which is facing a devastating Israeli war with American support, the Houthis targeted, with missiles and drones, Israeli cargo ships or those linked to them in the Red Sea, and the group confirmed that it is “determined” to continue its operations until the war on the Strip ends.
With the intervention of Washington and London and the tensions taking a noticeable escalation last January, the Houthi group announced that it now considered all American and British ships among its military targets.
Source: Agencies