Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Signal Plan to Release Seized Car Carrier

After announcing a long-awaited halt to attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea, Yemen’s Houthi militant group said Tuesday that it is preparing to release the car carrier Galaxy Leader, which it captured in late 2023. 

The group’s commando forces boarded the PCTC by helicopter and seized control of the bridge on November 19, 2023, taking the crew and the vessel hostage. It was the group’s first high-profile attack on shipping after the start of the war in Gaza, and it presaged countless Houthi attacks to follow. The Houthis cited the Israeli-linked ownership interests of …