Saudi coalition accuses Yemen’s Houthi rebels of militarising Red Sea ports
- Houthis captured the Emirati-flagged Rwabee ship on Monday, off the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, alleging it contained military materiel
- Saudi Arabia condemned what it called piracy against a civilian vessel that carried medical supplies
A Saudi-led military coalition on Saturday accused Yemeni rebels and their Iranian backers of using two Red Sea ports for military purposes, after the Houthis seized an Emirati-flagged vessel.
They captured the Rwabee ship on Monday, off the rebel-held Red Sea port of Hodeida, alleging it contained military materiel.
Saudi Arabia condemned what it called piracy against a civilian vessel that carried medical supplies.
The coalition has been fighting for nearly seven years in support of Yemen’s internationally backed government against the Iran-backed Houthis. The alliance has lately stepped up its accusations against the rebels and Iran, alongside an escalation in fighting.
In late December the coalition accused the Houthis of “militarising” the airport in the rebel-held capital Sanaa.
Iran has repeatedly denied US and Saudi accusations that it arms the rebels.
The seized ship is being detained in the Houthi-held port of Salif, north of Hodeida – both of which are crucial entry points for aid supplies to Yemen’s largely rebel-held north, including Sanaa.