Houthi rebels have been responsible for at least 50 attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen since the fall, a senior US Pentagon official said today.

Since mid-November, Shiite rebels near Iran have been launching attacks with missiles and drones against merchant ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. They claim that their attacks are an expression of solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a response to Israel’s military operations in the Palestinian enclave.

“In the Red Sea, the Houthis seek to disrupt this critical global trade route, launching at least 50 attacks» on ships since the fall, said Celeste Wallander, Undersecretary of Defense for International Security Affairs.

Rebel attacks have greatly disrupted international maritime trade, with passage through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal a vital artery.

In the face of these attacks, the US, a supporter of Israel, in December formed a multinational force to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea and launched, with the help of the UK, strikes against the Houthis in Yemen.

Earlier today, Bloomberg reported that the Houthis have informed China and Russia that their ships can safely pass through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.