News_ Yemen: Military Brigadier Abi Raad described Yemen’s declaration of entering the fourth phase of escalation against the Zionist entity as a major strategic challenge, stressing that the decision was issued by the highest authority in Yemen, Sayyed Abdulmalik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and the military leadership following an in-depth assessment of the country’s capabilities and resources.

In a statement to Al-Masirah, Brigadier Abi Raad explained that this phase constitutes a direct challenge to the United States and its “protégé,” the Israeli regime, both of which have refused to comply with Yemen’s directives to block the passage of ships bound for Israeli ports — a stance taken in defense and support of Gaza.

He emphasized that this is not a minor decision, but rather a serious warning to global shipping companies that any vessel within their fleets continuing to sail toward Israeli ports will be treated as a legitimate target. He cited the example of MSC, a major Swiss shipping company that owns hundreds of vessels, many of which operate along that route, expressing confidence in the Yemeni Armed Forces’ ability to uphold this responsibility.

Abi Raad also highlighted Yemen’s ability to completely shut down the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea, a zone that accounts for 13 percent of global trade, with 57 ships passing through daily. He clarified that the objective is to cut off all links to the Zionist entity, including its supply chain — particularly from China, which remains one of its largest suppliers.

He affirmed that while this move stands in solidarity with Gaza, it is neither arbitrary nor confrontational, but rather a conditional stance tied to the cessation of the aggression on Gaza and the end of the ongoing massacre in which the Palestinian people are being exterminated and starved.

Brigadier Abi Raad also revealed that many of the ports used by these vessels are Arab ports, based on communications from ship crews and hidden media sources. He pointed out that over 150 oil shipments have passed from Azerbaijan through Turkish ports in Ceyhan, Mersin, and Istanbul, despite Turkey’s public calls for ending the war.

Yemen’s latest escalation comes amid a broader strategic shift in regional dynamics, particularly in maritime security. According to Yahya Sare'e, the spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, this move is a direct response to the “shameful Arab, Islamic, and international silence toward Israel’s genocidal war and starvation campaign against two million people in Gaza.”

Since late 2023, Yemen has intensified its naval operations in both the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, targeting vessels linked to the Israeli occupation and enforcing a de facto blockade on the port of Umm al-Rashrash (commonly known by the Israeli name "Eilat"). These operations have significantly disrupted maritime traffic through one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.