Sayyed Al-Houthi Speaks on Decision to Ban Navigation of Israeli Ships (12 March 2025 A.D.)

I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the outcast.

In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful.

Praise is to Allah, Lord of the Worlds. I believe that there is no god but Allah, the Sovereign and the Manifest Truth, and that Muhammad, our master, is His servant, Messenger, and Last Prophet.

O Allah! Confer Your salat and blessings upon Muhammad and the Family of Muhammad as You conferred Your salat and blessings upon Ibrahim and the Family of Ibrahim. You are Owner of Praise, Owner of Glory! And be pleased with Muhammad’s good companions and all Your righteous servants and mujahidin.

O Allah! Guide us and grant us acceptance, for You are the Hearing, the Knowing; accept our repentance, for You are the Relenting and the Merciful.

Brothers and sisters, peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.

Shedding light on the decision to ban the navigation of Israeli ships

We begin by discussing our Yemeni Armed Forces’ announcement of the decision to ban the navigation of Israeli ships through the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandab strait, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea until delivering aid into the Gaza Strip. This decision has now come into effect, and any Israeli ship crossing the declared operational area will be targeted. This is a pragmatic step and a necessary position in response to the aggressive escalation carried out by the Israeli enemy against the Palestinian people in Gaza.

What the Israeli enemy has done—preventing aid from reaching the Palestinian people in Gaza, closing crossings, and blocking any food supplies from entering through merchant channels in any form, imposing a complete shutdown and total blockade—aims to starve the Palestinian population in Gaza, which numbers around two million. This is a major crime that fits all definitions of the most serious crimes: It is a war crime and a crime against humanity, for it represents a significant escalation that is far from a mere ordinary measure to be overlooked or ignored.

Therefore, when it comes to this state of silence and inaction in the Arab and Islamic realm and among Arab regimes towards this escalatory step—which is aimed at starving the Palestinian people comes as part of a deliberate effort to exterminate them or force their displacement—this state of inaction shown by Arabs and Muslims in general towards this escalatory step is a sin and a serious wrongdoing. It also represents an abdication of the profound responsibility this Ummah has to stand with the Palestinian people, who are facing oppression and are an integral part of the Ummah.

It is clear that no matter how many aggressive, escalatory, unjust, and criminal steps the Israeli enemy takes, the Arabs have a defined position that is evident to both the Israeli and American sides—no need to say that the Americans are a partner in all the crimes committed by the Israeli enemy. The Arab position—mirrored by the Islamic position in most cases—is limited to issuing statements that, even in their wording, are carefully worded to avoid harsh language. Such statements usually consist of wishes, calls, and appeals to others.

This is not the proper position for an ummah of two billion Muslims. Indeed, this is not the proper position for an ummah with the full capacity and potential of entire countries. It is a position that might be acceptable for an elementary school, a charitable organisation, or a cultural institution, but for nations, for countries, it falls far short of the Ummah’s human, religious, and moral responsibility towards this issue and the oppression of a people that is part of this Ummah.

This is what encouraged the Israeli enemy to take these aggressive steps!

Thus, the Israeli enemy is taking aggressive, criminal, and unjust actions while relying on American support and Arab-Islamic neglect. So there are two main factors that fuel this behaviour. This involves American backing and partnership, especially when considering the fact that the new Trump administration team is more overtly Zionist, insolent, and bold in its harsh treatment of the Palestinian people and Muslims and this Ummah in general. They are determined to set themselves apart by taking more aggressive steps than those taken by the previous Biden administration. This is evident in their statements, rhetoric, decisions, and overall position. The Israeli enemy believes the conditions are ripe—given the Arab inaction and the open, significant American support—thus emboldening them to move forward with these aggressive steps.

This state of inaction shown by Arabs also affects the positions of many Islamic countries. I have repeatedly stressed this fact: Arab inaction influences many Islamic countries, which otherwise could have adopted a stronger position if not hindered by the Arab position. That is because those major Arab regimes that have become complicit with the Americans and Israelis, seek to contain the situation within the Arab and Islamic world to ensure that it remains limited to mere statements.

This is quite evident. Summits are held, and they always result in statements that, as we have said, are not particularly strong in tone and often watered down in their expression. Furthermore, these statements are never accompanied by any practical measures, no matter how simple they may be—neither on the political level, nor through diplomatic boycotts, nor economically, nor in any other form! They also fail to convey a positive shift towards the Palestinian people or their mujahidin. The Arab regimes have not altered their negative positions towards our fellow mujahidin in Palestine, nor have they changed their designation as terrorists!

Even worse than all that is what the World Bank announced: that some Arab regimes opened a land route to bypass the Yemeni blockade imposed on the Israeli enemy and transport Israeli goods overland to the Israelis! The World Bank did announce this very explicitly, clearly naming the Arab regimes involved and detailing how the route operates, from where to where, and the extent of its activity. Will these regimes respond to the World Bank’s statement? Will they deny it? Refute it? Present evidence that disproves such claims? Or are they, in fact, involved in that? This is most likely the truth.

In previous stages and during the period of the full-scale aggression against the Gaza Strip by the Israeli enemy, videos were even circulated showing trucks and locomotives loaded with goods that the Arabs were transporting to the Israeli enemy, all while they watched the Palestinian people starving.

Therefore, we are facing a clear reality in the Arab and Islamic world: No matter what aggressive or escalatory steps the Israeli enemy takes, even if it decides to exterminate the entire Palestinian people, the Arab position will not go beyond issuing statements, which include wishes and calls for others to persuade Israel to halt its actions. If the Israeli enemy decides to demolish the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the official Arab position will remain unchanged. Similarly, if the Israeli enemy decides to forcibly expel the entire Palestinian people from their homeland, the Arab position will still be confined to the same level: statements of condemnation, criticism, calls, hopes, and regret.

This is an extremely dangerous situation as it only encourages the Israeli enemy to continue its escalating course, which is a gradual one but part of a clear plan with well-defined objectives and goals, as well as a clear vision of what it ultimately wants to achieve.

Therefore, it is essential, first and foremost, for the people of our Ummah and for the free individuals within it to realise that they must never tie their positions to the level adopted by the Arab regimes. It is absolutely unacceptable to do so, as this level reflects a state of passivity and evasion of responsibility. It also aligns with those who are complicit with the Americans and Israelis, always acting according to American directives and priorities.

Their decision not to provide land for the relocation of the Palestinian people is a positive one. However, it is, in fact, far below compared to what they should be doing. In other words, they fully understand that if they took this step, it would be an aggressive action, going beyond merely supporting the Israelis economically and politically, as well as through encouragement and incitement, or working to suppress any position within the Ummah and prevent any serious movement in support of the Palestinians. Rather, it would itself constitute a direct assault on the Palestinian people, as this step would serve as the key move in the displacement of the Palestinian people. This means that they would be directly responsible for committing the crime of displacing the Palestinian people from Palestine to lands they themselves designate and provide. In essence, they would become direct aggressors against the Palestinian people, rather than simply being passive, conspiring, or complicit with the enemy. So they refrained from going that far. However, the steps taken by the Israeli enemy must be met with practical steps.

Our position is the right response to Israeli stubbornness, so why the blame?!

Therefore, when we in our country (the Yemen of faith, wisdom, and jihad) decided to take a practical step and position—the decision to ban Israeli ships from navigating through the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandab strait, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea—it stems from our clear understanding of the fact, which is evident to everyone, that practical steps are essential. The Israeli stubbornness, arrogance, and brutality, coupled with unwavering support and encouragement from the Americans, are pushing the Israeli enemy to take significant aggressive actions. These actions can only be halted through deterrence, strong steps, and practical positions.

Therefore, we stress that this is not the limit of our position; rather, it is merely the first step. If the Israeli enemy continues to starve the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and persists in its current measures to block the entry of aid and goods, we will also resort to further escalatory measures. Our threshold is high, and all options are on the table, so to speak. This is exactly what we want to emphasise.

We also emphasise the importance of such positions and the need for practical action, given the reality of Arab regimes:

• Despite their inaction, they oppose those who take serious, concrete measures against the Israeli enemy’s escalatory, aggressive, and criminal actions. In fact, some Arab regimes adopt a very hostile position towards us simply because of our position that supports the Palestinian people and promotes liberation, refusing to submit to America like the compliant and subservient.
• Others blame and criticise us. Even some Arab regimes that sympathise with our cause see our stance as foolish, reckless, or inappropriate. Many direct blame our way!

However, we understand that in this critical historical phase, we live in an era where those who stand for what is right often face harsh criticism from all quarters. They become accused of adopting positions that do not align with public interests, political gains, or economic benefits; there are also those who base their judgment on different criteria, and some express doubts. As we have stated before, the Israeli enemy enjoys vast support, and many voices rally behind it.

In fact, all the blame, protests, criticism, and pressure should be directed at the Israeli enemy, for it seeks to starve the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, practicing a form of genocide through starvation. The Israeli enemy is the one who should face blame, criticism, protests, media campaigns, and all forms of insults and political pressure. It is everyone’s duty to support any genuine, practical position that puts real pressure on the Israeli enemy. However, the great flaw in the reality of our Ummah has reached such an extent that the blame is always directed at the rightful position, while the false, unjust position is ignored and overlooked.

America stands in full partnership with the Israeli enemy in all of its escalatory and aggressive actions, even joining in the threats and warnings against the Palestinian people. Likewise, the West clearly supports and backs the Israeli enemy. In contrast, is there any practical Arab position? What concrete steps have been taken?

The facts expose the collusion of major Arab regimes, actively cooperating with the Israeli enemy. They offer the Palestinians a statement on paper—with no practical measures behind it—while at the same time opening land routes to economically support the Israeli enemy and secretly inciting it to take aggressive measures against the Palestinian people. This is the unfortunate reality!

For example, when we reflect on what Europe, European states, and European regimes are doing these days in support of Ukraine, it is clear that they are doing everything for it. They are providing billions in financial support, as they announce this—billions of dollars not just for humanitarian or economic reasons, but even for military aid. They supply Ukraine with weapons of every kind alongside the money, offer political support, boycott Russia both economically and politically, and impose sanctions on it. Their efforts are evident, demonstrating what any nation with a serious and genuine commitment to supporting an important cause would do.

This is true despite the fact that there is a huge difference between the Ukrainian cause and the Palestinian cause:

• Ukraine was entangled by the West, dragged into a conflict with Russia in service of Western interests;
• while the Palestinian cause, on the other hand, has clear right on its side and reflects the evident oppression faced.

Nevertheless, to clarify the situation for the Arabs and the predominantly affected Islamic countries, any Arab observer can compare what the Europeans are doing for Ukraine with what the Arabs are doing for Palestine. The difference is striking. We can clearly see that the Arab position is largely one of passivity, with some instances of complicity and cooperation with the Israeli enemy, as well as an attempt to prevent any meaningful action.

Moreover, some Arabs are now quite busy and have shifted their focus to Ukraine. In other words, they are preoccupied with the West, leaving them no time to engage with the Palestinian cause, Arab concerns, or the issues of our Islamic Ummah. Their interests lie far away, as if they have become geniuses with distant priorities. This is one of the very strange realities in the Arab arena!

Overall, we affirm that the step announced by our Armed Forces is only the first step, that our threshold is extremely high, and that all options are on the table for practical implementation if the Israeli enemy does not cease its blockade against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, its starvation tactics, and its prevention of aid and goods from reaching the Gaza Strip.