Yemen’s Shiite Houthi rebels said today that they will continue their attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea, in response to the new military coalition announced by the United States to guarantee security and freedom of navigation in that crucial sea lane for international trade.

“The coalition formed by the United States is to protect Israel and militarize the sea without any justificationand will not prevent Yemen from continuing its legitimate operations in support of Gaza,” said the Houthi spokesman Mohamed Abdulsalam, on his official X account (formerly Twitter). In the first reaction after the United States’ announcement of this coalition, Abdulsalam stated that “the United States allowed itself to support Israel by forming an alliance, and also without an alliance. The people of the region have full legitimacy to support the Palestinian people. Yemen “has been charged with defending Palestinian rights and (confronting the) great injustice in Gaza.”

The spokesman reiterated that “Yemen’s naval operations are aimed at supporting the Palestinian people to confront the aggression and siege of Gazaand they are not a show of force or a challenge to anyone.” Therefore, he warned, “whoever wants to expand the conflict must assume the consequences of their actions.”

The Pentagon announced yesterday this military coalition made up of several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. The head of the Pentagon, Lloyd J. Austin III, is today in Manama, the capital of Bahrain and headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, and will meet virtually with defense ministers from countries in the region.

After the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, The Houthis, backed by Iran, have launched several volleys of missiles and drones against southern Israel in these last two months and also against ships with the flag of the Jewish State or owned by Israeli companies in the Red Sea and the Strait of Bab al Mandeb.

Since last Friday, the main maritime transport groups have been announcing that they are suspending their operations in the Red Sea, among them Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, and yesterday the oil company BP joined them, temporarily canceling the passage of its vessels through the area, which could disrupt international maritime trade.