Yemeni Houthi rebels posted a video on social media on the 22nd of a cargo ship operated by a Japan company that was seized while sailing in the Red Sea and its crew. By releasing the video, it seems that the aim is to appeal the safety of the crew and the legitimacy of the capture that it is aimed at a ship related to Israel.
A cargo ship operated by a Japan company sailing in the Red Sea near Yemen at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula was hijacked by Yemeni rebel Houthi on the 19th, and the safety of the 25 crew members has not been known since then.
Under these circumstances, on the 22nd, Houthi leaders visited the cargo ship and met with people believed to be the crew, which was published on SNS.
In the video, a Houthi leader can be seen meeting with people who appear to be crew members on a freighter and saying, "You are guests, please tell me anything you need."
On the other hand, before the meeting, he said, "We will continue our operations as long as the attacks on the Gaza Strip do not stop," and insisted that we will continue to target Israeli-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
The Houthis seem to aim to show the safety of the crew and the legitimacy of their capture by releasing the video.
In addition, Ibrahim Dairami, who was appointed as ambassador to Iran, which is backed by the Houthis, gave an interview to NHK in the capital Tehran on the 22nd.
Regarding the seizure of a cargo ship operated by a Japan company, claiming that it was an Israeli ship, he said, "We have no hostility toward our friends in Japan, and we are not aiming at them, and the operation is aimed only at Israel and its interests."
He declined to comment on the prospect of releasing the ship and crew, saying it would depend on the situation going forward.