– We do not work with half-assed information. It was said that the first Norwegian ship we attacked had nothing to do with Israel. Then it emerged that there was an agreement there. We have secure sources, and we check everything 100 percent. Nasr Al-Din Amer tells news about the ship attack in the Red Sea. He is one of the Houthi militia’s spokespersons. The Houthi militia has since 7 October attacked civilian and military ships in the Red Sea, in solidarity with Hamas. On 12 December, the Norwegian-owned tanker Strinda was hit by a missile in the Red Sea outside Yemen. The Houthi militia claimed responsibility for the attack. On Monday, a new Norwegian ship, M/V Swan Atlantic, was attacked by drones in the Red Sea. The Houthi militia has taken responsibility for that attack as well. The owners of the Norwegian ships have denied that they have ties to Israel. The militia has been clear that all ships, regardless of nationality, on their way to or bound for Israel are targets. – No one manages to hide where they are going, even if they falsify the information, says Amer. – Did they have information that the Norwegian ships were going to Israel? – Yes, I had. 100 percent, says the Houthi spokesperson. 25 people were on board the tanker that was targeted for an attack in the Red Sea on Monday morning, but no one is expected to be injured. Photo: Etienne Verberckmoes/Marine Traffic Misunderstandings? The Houthis claimed the tanker Strinda was on its way to Israel when it was attacked on 12 December. The leader of the crew thought the whole thing was a misunderstanding. He pointed out that the ship was on its way to Italy. When the situation was clarified, it nevertheless emerged that the shipping company had a “tentative agreement” with Israel to transport cargo out of Ashdod port in Israel in the New Year. He further said that the agreement is no longer valid. The Norwegian owner of the M/V Swan Atlantic, which was attacked today, Inventor Chemical Tankers, was quick to say that the management team has no connections to Israel. Marine Traffic, on the other hand, states on its website that the ship is operated by a company with ties to Israel. The management team thinks that is wrong. In a press release, the owners deny that the ship is operated by a company with ties to Israel, and write further that they suspect that the “misinformation” is the reason why the ship was attacked. Wants emergency aid for Gaza Amer tells news that the Houthi militia is at odds with the Palestinians. He points out that it is not right that Israel receives the supplies they need, while Palestinians die of thirst and hunger. – As long as there is not enough emergency aid into Gaza, we will deny access to Israeli ports to ships in the Red Sea. Amer emphasizes that ships that receive warnings and still do not turn around will be attacked. No matter where they come from. That is also why the Norwegian ship was attacked today, he claims. He still hopes that an escalation of the operations in the Red Sea can be avoided. – We do not want an escalation. We hope that Israel and the US give Gaza access to emergency aid. But if the emergency services do not come in, he does not rule out that they may be needed with an escalation of the operations. Amer emphasizes that they only attack ships going to Israel. He also praises Norway’s position in the war, compared to other European countries. – To be honest, I would wish that none of the ships I attacked had a Norwegian flag. Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide fears an escalation of conflict in the Middle East. Photo: Geir Bjarte Hjetland / news Barth Eide: Worry about escalation Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide (Ap) is worried about an escalation of the war and conflict in the Middle East. He tells news that he fears that other groups will become part of the conflict, as long as the core problem is not resolved. – We see it spreading to Vestbreidda. We see pushing and skirmishing between Hezbollah and Israel. Now the Houthi militia has also hung on. They look at the situation in the Middle East, but what they are doing is completely unacceptable. The minister further points out that militant groups, many of them with links to Iran, are using the opportunity to exploit the unrest. Houthi spokesman Amer says they have nothing to do with Iran, and calls drawing Iran in “Western propaganda”. – Iran is not the victim of aggression, bombing or military operations. That’s what Gaza is. We stand with the people of Gaza, says Amer.
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– Nobody manages to hide where they are going – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
