Houthis threaten to attack Red Sea shipping after US strikes on Iran

The US strike on Iran fuelled fears that Israel’s war with Tehran could escalate to a broader regional conflict. Adding more pressure to the situation, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have said that they would attack Red Sea shipping after Trump claimed the US has ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Iran supports the Houthis in Yemen’s internal conflict. The rebel government said on Sunday that it supported a vow by its armed wing to hit US ships in the Red Sea. “We affirm the Republic of Yemen’s commitment to the armed forces’ declaration that they were ready to target US ships and warships in the Red Sea,” the government said in a statement after the United States launched attacks on Iran.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the US bombing could lead to a regional conflict that no country could bear and called for negotiations. 

“Lebanon, its leadership, parties, and people, are aware today, more than ever before, that it has paid a heavy price for the wars that erupted on its land and in the region,” Aoun said in a statement on X.

Qatar, host of the biggest US military base in the Middle East, on Sunday said it feared serious repercussions after US air strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.

Its foreign ministry warned “that the current dangerous escalation in the region may lead to catastrophic consequences at both the regional and international levels.”

“We appeal to all parties to exercise wisdom, restraint, and to avoid further escalation,” the ministry said in a statement.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was gravely alarmed by the use of force by the United States. “There is a growing risk that this conflict could rapidly get out of control with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” he said in a statement on X.

“I call on Member States to de-escalate. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy,” he added. Meanwhile, the International Red Cross chief said the military escalation risks sparking warfare with irreversible consequences.

“The intensification and spread of major military operations in the Middle East risk engulfing the region -- and the world -- in a war with irreversible consequences,” Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, said in a statement.

Source: Onmanorama
--Agencies