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Iran sends warships to Red Sea as tensions soar on the high seas
Houthi military spokesman Bahya Saree delivers a statement in Yemen's capital Sanaa, Dec. 15, 2023. (Mohammed Huwai/AFP via Getty Images.)
Iran’s foreign minister hosted Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam in Tehran amid ongoing attacks by the Yemen-based group on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, which the Houthis say amount to "retaliation" for Israel’s war in Gaza. The Houthi attacks have caused shipping giants to reroute, disrupting navigation in the Red Sea, which accounts for a whopping 12% of global trade, according to the International Chamber of Shipping.
On the same day, Iran's navy announced the deployment of a flotilla of warships to the strategic waterway. The convoy, which includes the Alborz destroyer, has already passed through the Bab el-Mandab Strait, state media said.
Threats from the West
This development comes days after the US and UK warned Iran to cease backing the Houthis, with media reports claiming the two, possibly alongside another European country,are mulling a strike on Yemen's military installations along the Red Sea coast if the Iran-backed group doesn't back down.
Our correspondent in Tehran breaks down potential implications of the destroyer deployment.
https://www.bloomberg.co.jp/news/articles/2024-01-02/S6MHS0DWRGG000