“It’s not a truce” –

Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, better known as the Houthis, launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea once morest the Chinese-owned Panamanian-flagged oil tanker Huang Pu. This was announced by the US Central Command (Centcom), specifying that the attack occurred on March 23 between 5:50 and 6:30 in the morning (Italian time). Subsequently, at 18:25 Italian time, a fifth ballistic missile was detected launched towards the Huang Pu. “The ship issued a distress call but did not require assistance, having suffered minimal damage and a fire on board which was extinguished within 30 minutes. No casualties were reported and the ship resumed its course”, explains the note, underlining that the vessel was targeted despite the Houthis having previously declared that they would not attack Chinese ships.

US forces “engaged six Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the southern Red Sea. Five crashed into the Red Sea and one flew inland into Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.” Meanwhile, clarifications arrive on the rebels’ plans. The current situation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia constitutes “a de-escalation, not a truce”. This was stated yesterday by Mohammed Ali al Houthi, member of the Supreme Political Council based in Sanaa and controlled by the pro-Iranian group, to the Houthi-owned Yemeni broadcaster “Al Masirah”. The group’s top official added that negotiations with Riyadh “cannot begin until humanitarian issues” such as the payment of salaries, the restoration of electricity and the provision of services are addressed.