Aden (South24) 

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Yesterday, the leader of the Houthi militia, Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, announced that the scope of operations against Israeli ships or those linked to Israel would expand to the Indian Ocean, with the aim of preventing their passage from the Cape of Good Hope along South Africa.

In a video speech broadcast on Al-Masirah TV, Al-Houthi said: “We are moving, with God’s grace, to prevent the crossing of Israeli ships or those linked to the enemy [Israel] from the Indian Ocean towards the Good Hope Road” and “This week, our operations reached an unprecedented extent, and three of them reached the Indian Ocean.”

Al-Houthi announced that his militia had targeted 73 ships since maritime operations began, noting that in this week alone, “12 operations were carried out in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with 58 ballistic and cruise missiles and drones.”

He also disclosed that 34 Houthi fighters had been killed since the start of the naval campaign. He spoke at length about Arab countries, without directly naming any, and accused them of partnering with Israel and the United States in the killing of Palestinians in Gaza.

During his speech, Al-Houthi praised Iran and its support of the Houthis, as well as the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iraqi Shiite factions. He said, "Iran alone among Islamic countries provides weapons to the mujahideen in Gaza."

Yesterday, state-owned Russian news agency RIA Novosti quoted an anonymous source close to the Houthis as saying that the group had succeeded in testing a hypersonic missile. The source said that the missile is capable of reaching speeds of up to 10,000 kilometers per hour.

RIA Novosti reported that the Houthis intend to manufacture the missile and use it in attacks on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, and against targets in Israel. 

From March 12 to 14, Russia, China, and Iran carried out their joint naval exercise, the ‘Maritime Security Belt-2024’ in the northern Indian Ocean near the Strait of Hormuz, according to the semi-official Iranian Mehr News Agency (MNA).

“The floating and aviation units of the Iranian Navy and the floating units of China and Russia participated in these maneuvers. Representatives from the countries of Oman, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and South Africa also participated in these maneuvers,” MNA added.

Today, during a briefing to the UN Security Council, the UN Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, expressed his concern about the impact of the events in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden on his ongoing efforts to establish a roadmap for a political solution in Yemen.

“The mediation has become more complex, as I mentioned in my briefing last month, and this situation is still continuing. What happens at the regional level affects Yemen and what happens in Yemen can affect the region." Grundberg said.

He added: "As more interests overlap, the possibility of the parties to the conflict in Yemen changing their calculations and negotiating agendas increases."