Yemen's Houthis say UN resolution on navigation on the Red Sea is 'political game'

Yemen's Houthis say UN resolution on navigation on the Red Sea is 'political game'
Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, walks after an interview with Reuters in Sanaa, Yemen Aug 1, 2018.
PHOTO: Reuters file

CAIRO — The head of Yemen's Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said on Thursday (Jan 11) the UN resolution on navigation on the Red Sea is a "political game" and that the United States was the one violating international law.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded Yemen's Houthis immediately end attacks on ships in the Red Sea and implicitly endorsed a US-led task force that has been defending vessels while cautioning against escalating tensions.

Al-Houthi said in a posting on media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, that what Yemeni armed forces were doing comes within the framework of legitimate defence, and that any action they face will have a reaction.

"We call on the Security Council to immediately release 2.3 million people from the Israeli-American siege in Gaza," he said.

The Houthis, an Iran-aligned group that seized much of Yemen in a civil war, have vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports to show support for Hamas Islamists battling the Israeli offencive in Gaza. However, many of the targeted ships have had no links to Israel.

ALSO READ: Explainer: Who are Yemen's Houthis and why are they attacking Red Sea ships?

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