The Yemeni Houthi group confirmed on Saturday that it would continue its military operations against Israel and prevent the passage of its ships in the Red Sea, vowing that "the American and British aggression will not go unpunished."

This came in a statement issued by the Houthi government (not internationally recognized) published by the group's "Saba" news agency, hours after the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, was subjected to new raids.

The statement said, "The blatant American and British aggression, which comes in support of the Israeli occupation, will not discourage Yemen from continuing its military operations against the Israeli occupation and preventing its ships and the rest of the ships heading to the ports of occupied Palestine."

He added, "This aggression, which will certainly not go unpunished by our armed forces, demonstrates the great impact of Yemen's military operations against the Israeli occupation and preventing the passage of its ships and other nationalities loaded with goods destined for it."

At dawn on Saturday, the United States renewed its launch of a number of raids on Sanaa, a day after it carried out attacks with Britain against targets in areas controlled by the Houthis in Yemen.

After Friday's attacks, which left five dead and six wounded among the Houthi ranks, the group vowed, in a statement issued by its Political Council (the highest political authority), that all American and British interests had become "legitimate targets" for its forces, in response to their "direct and declared aggression" against Yemen. .

In "solidarity with the Gaza Strip", which has been exposed to an Israeli war with American support since last October 7, the Houthis are targeting, with missiles and drones, cargo ships in the Red Sea that are owned or operated by Israeli companies or that transport goods to and from Israel.

Maritime trade accounts for 70 percent of Israel's imports, and 98 percent of its foreign trade passes through the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, and trade through the Red Sea contributes 34.6 percent to Israel's economy, according to its Ministry of Finance.