Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi addresses followers via a video link at the al-Shaab Mosque, formerly al-Saleh Mosque, in Sanaa, Yemen, Feb. 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia will target all ships heading to Israeli ports, even if they do not pass through the Red Sea, the head of the US-designated terrorist organization said on Thursday.

Abdulmalik al-Houthi declared in a televised speech that the Houthis will extend their attacks on Israel-bound ships beyond the Red Sea region to the Mediterranean Sea in what the Yemeni rebels have described as a campaign of solidarity with Palestinians during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

“We will target any ship heading to Israel that comes within range of our weapons,” Abdulmalik al-Houthi said. “Everyone must stop transporting to the occupied Palestinian ports … It is in the interest of all companies to stop transporting to the Israeli enemy towards the Mediterranean Sea or in any direction.”

Al-Houthi urged China and Russia, as well as other Asian and European countries, not to transport goods to Israeli ports.

The US and Britain returned the Houthi militia to a list of terrorist groups this year as its attacks on vessels in and around the Red Sea, a key trade route, disrupted global shipping, raising the cost of shipping and insurance and having a major economic impact. Shipping firms have been forced in many cases to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa to avoid passing near Yemen.

The rebel Houthi movement — whose slogan is “death to America, death to Israel, curse the Jews, and victory to Islam” — has also claimed responsibility for attempted drone and missile strikes targeting Israel.

Beyond Israeli targets, the Houthis have threatened and in some cases actually attacked US and British ships, leading the two Western allies to launch retaliatory strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.