News - Yemen: Strategic affairs researcher Ali Hamieh confirmed that, for the first time, the Yemeni Navy is publicly addressing commercial vessels and officially announcing a ban on passage to Israeli ports. He stated that this development reflects advanced intelligence capabilities and unprecedented strategic measures in the Red Sea.

Hamieh noted that Yemen is effectively severing the maritime arms supply line to the Israeli entity. What is unfolding, he said, is a systematic dismantling of Israel’s military industry—following the earlier Iranian strike—and Yemen is now contributing to this pressure with targeted naval operations.

“For the first time, Yemen has issued a direct and public announcement from its Naval Forces, legally declaring that ships heading to the Israeli enemy are prohibited from passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea," he added. "This is a legal measure Yemen is entitled to take, much like the United States enforces blockades in its own territorial waters to prevent certain ships from passing.”

Hamieh explained that the high level of Yemeni naval communication was demonstrated by the use of specific ship identification codes instead of names, indicating that Yemen possesses highly accurate and advanced maritime intelligence. He added that this suggests Yemen may now have superior situational awareness of Red Sea naval activity compared to its adversaries.

He observed that Yemeni operations are escalating in a calculated manner—from the seizure of vessels to commando-style raids, and now to operations involving sophisticated and previously unused tools and weapons—highlighting a significant leap in Yemen’s naval capabilities.

Hamieh concluded that Yemen’s public legal declaration marks a milestone in operational development and intelligence sophistication. The gradual deployment of advanced military tools in the Red Sea, he said, is part of a broader strategy aimed at confronting Israeli threats and solidifying Yemen’s strategic military posture in the region.

The sinking of the Magic Seas by the Yemeni Armed Forces marks a major escalation in Yemen’s enforcement of its maritime blockade on Israeli-linked vessels. High-resolution footage released by the Military Media Unit showed the Yemeni Navy issuing repeated radio warnings to the ship, which ignored the calls and proceeded toward ports in occupied Palestine.

The footage captured every stage of the operation—from the initial warnings, to unmanned boats striking the vessel, and the final detonation by Yemeni Naval Special Forces who stormed the ship. The dramatic broadcast, ending with the ship’s complete destruction, served as a warning to all companies violating Yemen’s declared naval ban.

Brigadier General Yahya Sare’e confirmed that the strike was in response to repeated violations by the ship’s parent company, which had sent multiple vessels to Israeli ports despite ongoing warnings. The Magic Seas incident highlights Yemen’s growing naval capabilities and its resolve to use military force to support Gaza by disrupting Israeli-bound maritime traffic.