US denies offering to recognize Houthi regime as Yemen’s government to stop naval attacks

U.S. officials strongly denied claims by a member of the Houthi rebel group in Yemen that the U.S. offered to recognize the terrorist group as the official government of Yemen to stop its attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of the Houthi’s political bureau, told Al Jazeera that the U.S. or the United Kingdom “always” communicated with the group after it carried out attacks, to make it stop either by offering benefits or threats.

“These calls are based on either threats or presenting some temptations, but they have given up to achieve any accomplishment in that direction,” he said. Al-Bukhaiti said the threats included direct U.S. military action against countries offering military support to Gaza, such as the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and Iranian-supported terrorist groups in Iraq and Syria.

An anonymous U.S. official told Reuters the claim was “a total fabrication.” Another State Department official noted: “Houthi propaganda is rarely true or newsworthy. Coverage like this puts a guise of credibility on their misinformation.”

Since last October, the Houthis have declared their support for Hamas in the war against Israel, and so far launched 220 ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones, including Sunday’s ballistic missile attack on central Israel.

In addition, the group has been targeting vessels traveling through the Red Sea, which it claims are either headed for Israel or are in any way connected to the Jewish state.

So far, the Houthis have damaged more than 80 ships with missile fire and drones, including the sinking of two vessels and violently seizing another ship. The terror group’s actions have largely shut down international traffic through the once-busy waterway.

Update on the MV SOUNION salvage status

The salvage of the MV SOUNION is a complex operation and consists of various phases.

The tug boats have successfully connected to the vessel and the towing of the MV SOUNION to a safe location is in progress.

By providing protection to… pic.twitter.com/FX47QOsJLq

— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) September 15, 2024

On Tuesday, the European Union naval mission "Operation Aspides," which aims to secure shipping traffic in the area, reported that it successfully towed an oil tanker to safety after it had been ablaze for weeks following a Houthi attack.

The mission averted a feared large oil spill in the area, which would have further impeded ship traffic and potentially caused an environmental catastrophe, in addition to exacerbating an already tense security situation.

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES 🇪🇺, operating under a defensive mandate, stands as a credible EU maritime security provider, with the aim to contribute to the freedom of navigation in the area of operation and the safe passage of merchant vessels.

EUNAVFOR ASPIDES 🇪🇺 recommendations for… pic.twitter.com/vwxGSaExIq

— EUNAVFOR ASPIDES (@EUNAVFORASPIDES) September 7, 2024

Meanwhile, the Houthis again claimed to have shot down another U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone, following several similar claims.

The U.S. military acknowledged the claim regarding a Reaper drone being downed over Yemen’s southwestern Dhamar province but did not provide further details.