The Houthi rebel group vowed on Sunday to attack ships that once were owned by Israeli corporations, even after they are sold and no longer bear affiliation to Israel. The announcement seems to broaden the scope of vessels the group may choose to target.
Since October of last year, the Houthis have launched missile and drone strikes on civilian ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The organization claims to target vessels associated with Israel and its Western supporters, but in fact, the terrorist group has regularly targeted ships with no apparent relation to Israeli maritime interests or cargo movements. The great majority of container ship traffic was diverted away from the Red Sea, as well as a smaller but still significant amount of tanker and bulker traffic.