Bloomberg: Houthis Say They Will Not Attack Russian and Chinese Ships

Bloomberg news agency reported on Thursday, February 20, citing several informed sources, that the Houthis of Yemen have informed China and Russia that they will not attack their ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The sources, who wished to remain anonymous, stated that Russian and Chinese diplomats met with Mohammed Abdul Salam, a senior Houthi official, in Oman, resulting in this 'understanding.' In return, Russia and China promised the Houthis political support in international forums, including the United Nations Security Council. According to Bloomberg, it is unclear what form this political support will take, but it may manifest as vetoing potential Security Council resolutions against the Houthis. Moscow and Beijing have previously provided some diplomatic support to the Houthis. These two permanent members of the UN Security Council abstained from voting on a resolution proposed by the US and Japan condemning the 'strongly worded' attacks by the Houthis on ships in the region's waters. Neither China, Russia, nor the Houthis have yet responded to Bloomberg's report. The Houthi militants in Yemen, who are supported by the Islamic Republic, have repeatedly attacked international commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea since early October this year under the pretext of supporting the Palestinians, using missiles and drones. Many of these attacks have been thwarted by American forces or the coalition, and numerous of their bases inside Yemen have been targeted by independent or joint attacks from the US military and other US allies. The Biden administration, which removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist organizations shortly after taking office in January 2021, placed the group back on the list of 'specially designated global terrorists' on February 16, 2024. The US Secretary of State stated that the Iranian government is the main supplier of weapons, intelligence, and technology to the Houthis. CENTCOM destroyed 'one drone and one loitering munition' of the Iran-backed Houthis. The Houthis claimed to have attacked a ship in the Red Sea and the Israeli port of Eilat. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an explosion near a commercial ship east of Aden. The Houthis confirmed a meeting with Hamas and other Palestinian groups in Beirut. Palestinian sources reported that senior officials from Hamas and the Houthis met to coordinate 'actions against Israel.'