Some commercial ships passing through the Red Sea have started broadcasting messages on their public tracking systems, declaring their crew’s religion and nationality to avoid being attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
The Red Sea is an important route for transporting oil and other goods, but the number of ships passing through it has dropped sharply since the Houthis began launching attacks in November 2023. The rebel group, which is backed by Iran, has said its attacks are in support of Palestinians during the ongoing war in Gaza.
This week, the Houthis attacked and sank two commercial vessels after a long gap of no major incidents. Following this, their leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, repeated that any ship or company linked to Israel will be targeted and won’t be allowed to pass through.
To avoid being targeted, many ships sailing through the southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait have updated their AIS
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