By Al-Fassel | 2024-01-24

The Iran-backed Houthis have announced they are giving special dispensation to the vessels of Russia and China, after repeatedly attacking merchant ships linked to other countries in the Red Sea over the past few months.

The Houthis' indiscriminate attacks on commercial vessels have impacted 55 nations to date, according to the United States.

Iran, which is closely aligned with Russia and China, has been supplying the Houthis with weapons. The Houthis now appear to be rewarding Russia and China, underscoring their alliance with these countries and Iran, analysts said.

In an interview published by Russia's Izvestia on January 19, a senior Houthi official promised safe passage for Russian and Chinese vessels through the Red Sea, where the group has carried out dozens of recent attacks.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti insisted the waters around Yemen, which some shipping firms are avoiding due to the Houthis' ongoing aggression, were safe so long as vessels were not linked to certain countries.

The Houthis previously said they would continue to attack ships linked to the United States and United Kingdom, which have targeted military sites the group has used in Yemen to attack international commercial vessels.

"As for all other countries, including Russia and China, their shipping in the region is not threatened," al-Bukhaiti said.

"Moreover, we are ready to ensure the safe passage of their ships in the Red Sea, because free navigation plays a significant role for our country."

Observers repeatedly have noted the hypocrisy of the Houthis' claim to support free navigation.

China's toothless condemnation

China -- one of the two nations set to benefit from the Houthis' largesse -- on January 19 called for an end to "harassment" of civilian vessels in the Red Sea, even as its own vessels received assurances of safe passage from the Houthis.

"We call for an end to the harassment of civilian vessels, in order to maintain the smooth flow of global production and supply chains and the international trade order," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said.

Beijing's Commerce Ministry has called on those in the region to "restore and ensure the safety of waterways in the Red Sea."

The US military says the Houthis' main backer, Iran, has either seized or attempted to take nearly 20 internationally flagged ships in the region in the past two years, AFP reported in August.

Iran said it had seized the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker St. Nikolas off Oman on January 11.

British maritime risk company Ambrey said the recently renamed tanker was previously prosecuted and fined for carrying sanctioned Iranian oil, which was confiscated by US authorities, AFP reported.

The US Department of Justice previously said the oil on the tanker was allegedly being sold by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to China.

Russia meanwhile has sought to turn the tables by calling on the United States and United Kingdom to stop their strikes on the Houthis -- although it is the Houthis who have been carrying out a volley of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

On January 17, US forces conducted strikes on 14 missiles the Houthis had loaded to be fired from areas of Yemen they control, the US military said.

US and UK warships and fighter jets on January 9 shot down more than 20 drones and missiles over the Red Sea launched by the Houthis towards international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting.

US forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain, on January 12 targeted radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for attack drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The strikes were designed to degrade the capability of the Iran-backed group to continue its "illegal and reckless attacks on US and international vessels and commercial shipping in the Red Sea," it said in a statement.

They came as the United States has continued to demonstrate its commitment to Yemen's peace process -- a process the Houthis have undermined and placed at risk through their reckless actions.

UN demands end to attacks

The United Nations (UN) Security Council on January 10 demanded an "immediate" end to the Houthis' attacks on shipping, "which impede global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security."

Russia and China notably abstained from voting for the resolution, after Russia sought to introduce three amendments that were all voted down.

The resolution "condemns in the strongest terms the at least two dozen Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels since November 19, 2023, when the Houthis attacked and seized the Galaxy Leader and its crew."

Noting the "large-scale" violations of the arms embargo against the Houthis, the resolution reiterates the need for all member states to "adhere to their obligations" and "condemns the provision of arms" to the Houthis.

"Iran has long encouraged the Houthis' destabilizing actions in the region through both financial and materiel support that violates the UN arms embargo," said Washington's UN ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

"We know that Iran has been deeply involved in planning operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea."