Houthi rebels are threatening Greek-owned vessels whose holding companies are cooperating with Israel, according to a dispatch circulated on Thursday by Reuters.
Through an email campaign, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels are warning Greek shipping companies to stop any cooperation with Israel or “face the consequences”. The email threats are also targeting Greek-flagged ships with little or no connection to Israel and directed at entire merchant fleets.
“You bear the responsibility and consequences of including the vessel in the ban list,” said an email sent to the manager of a company whose ships were traveling through the Red Sea. According to Reuters, the mail concerned a Greek-flagged ship which appeared to have violated a transit ban imposed by Yemen’s Houthi militia and had docked at a port in Israel. The email said the ship would be “directly targeted by the Yemeni Armed Forces in any area they deem appropriate”.
The mail is one of many sent to at least six Greek shipping companies since May and signed by the Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), a body based in Yemen liaising between Houthi forces and shipping operators.
“Your ships breached the decision of Yemen Armed Forces. Therefore, punishments will be imposed on all vessels of your company … Best Regards, Yemen Navy,” read another mail to a Greek shipping company sent earlier this summer.
In August, the Greek-owned oil tanker Sounion was hit by Houthi rebels. The ship was anchored at roughly 72 nautical miles west of the Yemen port of Al Hudaydah.
In view of the escalating tensions in the Middle East, several Greek shipping companies have decided to steer clear of the Red Sea, the only waterway leading to and from the Suez Canal.
So far, the Houthis have launched some 100 attacks on vessels crossing the Red Sea and Gulf and Aden, sinking two ships and killing at least four seafarers, Reuters reports.
Nearly 30% of Houthi attacks have been launched against Greek-owned vessels, which comprise the world’s largest fleet in terms of transport capacity, according to data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence. The data did not clarify whether these ships had any connections to Israel.
