Yemen is an Arab country on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula bordering both the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Due to this, it holds a vital strategic location on the eastern side of the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea.
The country has been embroiled in a civil war for several years, with the internationally-recognized government fighting against the Houthi movement in the South.
Ambrey said it also observed unprecedented levels of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) interference off Eilat and neighboring Aqaba, Jordan on Sunday.
Oil exportation is a critical pillar of Yemen's economy, constituting 75% of the government's budget.
The Houthis have continued to disrupt global shipping through the Suez Canal, forcing shipping firms to re-route longer and more expensive journeys, and impacting global trade.
Months of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around Southern Africa.
The comment is in line with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's statements in November that the US would re-evaluate the designation if the Houthis ceased attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The decision comes two years after a prior unheeded attempt to ban the antisemitic Iran-backed Shi’i movement, whose infamous slogan calls, among other things, for 'a curse upon the Jews.'
As Yemen's economic conditions deteriorate, the Houthis stand accused of diverting public attention by focusing on Israeli-Palestinian hostilities
The Houthis have adopted a new narrative in which they now interpret their war in Yemen as part of a regional struggle for the Palestinians.
Firms have been forced to take longer, more expensive journeys to ship their goods rather than using the Red Sea, in order to avoid attacks by the Houthis.
Muhammad Ali Al-Houthi condemns American-British strikes in Yemen, alleging aid to Gaza blockade; Red Sea shipping attacks persist.
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