Yemen Monitor/ Sana’a/ Reuters:
Maritime security officials said on Thursday that they expect the Yemeni Houthi group to announce a halt to attacks on ships in the Red Sea following a ceasefire agreement in Gaza between the Israeli occupation and Palestinian resistance.
Experts said a likely indication of this was an email seen by Reuters from the group postponing a security briefing scheduled for the coming days.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said the group would monitor developments in the remaining days before the agreement is implemented and would continue its attacks if Israeli strikes continued.
The Houthi group has not yet responded to a request for comment.
The group has carried out more than 100 attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea since November 2023, saying it was doing so in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. They have sunk two ships, seized another, and killed at least four sailors.
The attacks have disrupted global shipping and forced companies to reroute their vessels on longer and more costly journeys around South Africa for over a year.
Dimitris Maniatis, CEO of the maritime security firm Marsys, told Reuters of the briefing’s postponement, “The British, US, and Israeli strikes have significantly reduced Houthi attacks, and they are looking for an excuse to declare a ceasefire.”
Another maritime security official said the announcement was largely expected and that there were indications that some companies were preparing to resume voyages through the Red Sea, but it was too early to say whether traffic would return.
The official added, “The first indicator of a return to normalcy will be in the insurance market, with insurance premiums beginning to decline.”
A second maritime official, who also requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, said a halt to the attacks was widely expected but could not confirm it.
In an email seen by Reuters, the Houthis said the online security seminar targeting shipping and maritime transport companies, their first such invitation, had been postponed to February 10 due to the large number of questions and suggestions received from participants.
They said in the email yesterday, Wednesday, “This will ensure that the event is more comprehensive and beneficial to all attendees.”
