Houthis will not change stance on Gaza due to naval alliance

SANAA - Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis will not change their stance on the Gaza conflict due to the establishment of a multinational naval alliance to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea, top Houthi negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam told Reuters on Tuesday.

The naval alliance led by the United States was "essentially unnecessary", he said, adding that all the waters adjacent to Yemen were safe except for Israeli ships, or ships heading to Israel, because of the "unjust aggressive war on Palestine."

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a multinational operation to safeguard commerce in the Red Sea following a series of missile and drone attacks on shipping by the Houthis.