Houthis Announce Naval Blockade of Haifa Port

The Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, commonly known as the Houthis, declared their intention to impose a naval blockade on the Israeli port of Haifa and designate it as a target for missile strikes. This announcement was made by Houthi armed forces spokesman Yahya Saria during a broadcast on Al Masirah TV. He stated that the blockade aims to disrupt operations at a critical facility for Israeli naval activities in solidarity with the Palestinian people and in response to the ongoing Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip.

Haifa Port located in the north, is one of the largest commercial and strategic hubs, handling a substantial portion of Israel’s regime’s imports and exports. The port is also home to the Israeli Navy’s Sa’ar-class missile corvettes, including the advanced Sa’ar 6, which is equipped with air defense systems and anti-ship missiles. Saria warned all ships currently in or en route to Haifa to vacate the area, threatening attacks on vessels associated with Israel. “We will attack any ships associated with Israel in Haifa, just as we do in the Red Sea,” he asserted, adding that the blockade would take effect immediately.

This announcement comes amid a surge in Houthi attacks targeting Israeli interests. Since the onset of Israel’s conflict with Hamas in October 2023, the Iran-backed Houthis have frequently launched missiles and drones at Israel and have attacked shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have conducted over 130 attacks on commercial vessels since the Autumn of 2023, with only a small fraction linked to Israel. This has prompted a rerouting of shipping routes through the Cape of Good Hope, increasing costs by 15-20%. In June 2024, the Houthis claimed to have launched a hypersonic missile at the Israeli vessel MSC Manzanillo in Haifa, although the Israel Defense Forces denied that it had struck the vessel.