Yemen's Houthis say UN resolution on navigation on the Red Sea is 'political game'

The UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded Yemen's Houthis immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

 A man holds up a gun, as Houthi supporters rally to commemorate ten Houthi fighters killed by the US Navy in the Red Sea, in Sanaa, Yemen January 5, 2024 (photo credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)
A man holds up a gun, as Houthi supporters rally to commemorate ten Houthi fighters killed by the US Navy in the Red Sea, in Sanaa, Yemen January 5, 2024
(photo credit: REUTERS/KHALED ABDULLAH)

The head of Yemen's Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said on Thursday the UN resolution on navigation on the Red Sea is a "political game" and that the United States was the one violating international law.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded Yemen's Houthis immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea and implicitly endorsed a US-led task force that has been defending vessels while cautioning against escalating tensions.

Al-Houthi said in a posting on media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that what Yemeni armed forces were doing comes within the framework of legitimate defense, and that any action they face will have a reaction.

"We call on the Security Council to immediately release 2.3 Million people from the Israeli-American siege in Gaza," he said.

 A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. (credit: Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS)
A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. (credit: Houthi Military Media/Handout via REUTERS)

Houthis vow to attack Israel-bound ships

The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group that seized much of Yemen in a civil war, have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports to show support for Hamas Islamists battling the Israeli offensive in Gaza. However, many of the targeted ships have had no links to Israel.