ESCALATING tensions in the Red Sea could soon reach the surrounding Indian Ocean.
Two Houthi spokesmen warned that the Iran-backed group will prevent Israel-linked ships from passing through the Indian Ocean near the Cape of Good Hope which lies South of Africa.
The group’s leader Abdul Malik Al Houthi said his forces already started operations in the Indian Ocean to target ships connected to Israel.
The Houthi leader further claimed that the rebel group attacked 73 ships and barges in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden using missiles and drones. He added that confrontations with the U.S.-British coalition killed at least 34 Houthi fighters.
The Iran-backed group has been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea since the Israel-Hamas war erupted last year and threatened to expand attacks if Israel did not stop its ground operation in Gaza.
The rebel group recently claimed it has in its possession a hypersonic missile that could attack targets in the Red Sea and Israel. However, the White House denied the report and stated there is no sign that the Houthis have access to a hypersonic weapon.
Three sailors died last week after Houthi rebels attacked the Barbados-flagged True Confidence tanker as it sailed in the Gulf of Aiden en route to Saudi Arabia. The incident marked the first civilian casualties as a result of a Houthi attack since the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted in October last year.
The ongoing tensions in the Red Sea have disrupted maritime trade after several shipping companies abandoned contracts or found an alternative route to avoid passing through the strategic waterway.
