The leader of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, has warned that the US actions in the Red Sea have endangered the security of all ships in the area, turning it into a war zone. He also linked the situation in the Red Sea to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Iraq, and Yemen, and called for an end to the Israeli aggression.
In a speech in Beirut on Sunday, Nasrallah said that the US and UK strikes on the Houthi rebels in Yemen last week were a mistake and would not stop the Houthis from supporting Gaza and attacking Israeli-bound vessels in the Red Sea. He said that the attacks on the ships were the least response from Yemen to the Israeli aggression, and that Hezbollah and other groups in Lebanon would also continue to support Gaza until the Israeli attacks stop.
Nasrallah said that the US and its allies had destroyed the 95% security of the global shipping in the Red Sea by their actions, and that they should realize that the root cause of the instability in the region was the Israeli war on Gaza. He said that the US was racist and arrogant and did not understand the reality of the situation, and that they should stop the aggression in Gaza instead of trying to contain the consequences.
The Red Sea is a vital waterway for international trade and energy, connecting the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean. It has been the scene of several attacks and incidents in recent months, as the Houthi rebels have targeted Saudi and Israeli ships and oil facilities with missiles and drones. The US and UK have accused Iran of providing the Houthis with weapons and support, and have launched airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response.
The situation in the Red Sea is also related to the war in Gaza, which has entered its 100th day on Monday. The Hamas movement, which controls Gaza, has fired thousands of rockets at Israel since October 7, 2023, in protest of the Israeli blockade and occupation of the Palestinian territories. Israel has responded with a massive aerial and ground campaign, killing more than 2,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and displacing hundreds of thousands more. The international community has called for an immediate ceasefire and a political solution, but the efforts have been hampered by the US veto and the Israeli refusal to negotiate.