Houthis Halt All Attacks on Israel and Red Sea Shipping After 13 Months of Strikes

The Iran-backed Houthi rebel movement in Yemen has formally announced a complete suspension of its extensive campaign of ballistic missile attacks against Israeli territory and drone-and-missile assaults on commercial shipping transiting the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and Arabian Sea, marking the most significant de-escalation in the region since the campaign began over a year ago.

In a detailed official letter addressed to the military leadership of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades and subsequently released through Houthi-controlled media channels, Major General Yusuf Hassan al-Madani, Chief of Staff of the Houthi Armed Forces, declared that all offensive operations directed at Israel, as well as the previously imposed naval blockade on vessels linked to Israel, have been halted with immediate effect, effective from the moment the Gaza ceasefire entered into force on October 10, 2025.

The letter explicitly conditions the continuation of this suspension on Israel’s full adherence to the ceasefire terms in Gaza, warning in unambiguous terms that any renewed Israeli military aggression against Palestinian territory will trigger an immediate resumption of large-scale Houthi strikes deep inside Israeli territory and the reinstatement of comprehensive restrictions on Israeli-affiliated navigation across the Red Sea and Arabian Sea corridors.

Also Read: Satellite Images Reveal Secret Airstrip on Yemen’s Zuqar Island Amid Anti-Houthi Campaign

Since the ceasefire took effect over a month ago, the Houthis have refrained from claiming responsibility for any attacks — a complete departure from their previous pattern of launching near-daily salvos that resulted in the sinking of four merchant vessels, the deaths of nine international seafarers, the seizure of one ship, and the forced rerouting of vessels carrying approximately one trillion dollars in annual global trade around the Cape of Good Hope, inflicting severe economic disruption worldwide.

This prolonged operational silence follows a series of devastating Israeli precision strikes that eliminated multiple senior Houthi military commanders and extensive U.S. aerial campaigns, including the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers against deeply buried weapons storage facilities. The combination of sustained military pressure appears to have compelled the Houthis to accept a unilateral stand-down, representing a significant strategic setback for Iran’s axis of resistance in the region.

Also Read: Tanker Ablaze Near Yemen After Suspected Houthi Attack, Global Shipping on Edge