Yemen’s Ansarullah leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has declared that the reopening of Israel’s Eilat port is now “impossible,” reaffirming Yemen’s firm blockade on Israeli-linked shipping through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea. In a defiant televised address, al-Houthi warned all shipping companies against aiding Israel, promising decisive retaliation. He cited the Yemeni Navy's missile strike on the ETERNITY C and the dramatic sinking of the Magic Seas as warnings.
Yemen’s naval campaign began in November 2023 in solidarity with Gaza, following Israel’s bombing campaign. Al-Houthi denounced Israeli airstrikes on Hudaydah and praised Yemen’s missile defense systems. He stated that despite near-total U.S. backing, Israel had failed militarily, especially in Gaza, where resistance fighters killed and wounded nearly 20 Israeli soldiers in a single operation. The Red Sea front, he asserted, now belongs to the resistance — and Eilat is no longer open.
