Shafaq News/ On Thursday, Yemen’s Houthi (Ansarallah) leader, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, suggested an upcoming escalation by Iraqi militant groups and revealed that the Houthis had targeted more than 180 ships since they began supporting Gaza militarily.

In a televised speech, Al-Houthi stated, “The Islamic Resistance In Iraq has conducted highly intensive operations in recent days and is moving towards further escalation with increased effectiveness.”

“The support front in Yemen has carried out operations in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean, with 188 ships targeted so far.”

The Houthi leader referenced missile attacks as part of " "Honest Promised II Operation", which hit targets in Jaffa, Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat), and sites in the Negev Desert.

Additionally, he confirmed that more American MQ-9 armed surveillance drones had been shot down, bringing the total to 11 this year.

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis have launched drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, claiming their targets are ships aligned with or headed toward Israel. The group also has escalated its assaults on Israel.