Houthis Announce Naval Blockade of Haifa Port, Undermining China’s Strategic Interests
Executive Summary
The Yemeni Armed Forces, led by the Iran-backed Houthi movement, have declared a naval blockade on Israel’s Haifa Port in retaliation for intensified Israeli military operations in Gaza. The move places Chinese strategic infrastructure at direct risk, particularly the Shanghai International Port Group’s expansion of Haifa’s Bay Port. This development raises tensions in the region by threatening maritime commerce and drawing Beijing deeper into a conflict where its commercial assets and diplomatic posturing are increasingly in conflict.
Analysis
On May 19, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced that Haifa Port had been added to the group’s “target bank,” warning all shipping companies operating in or en route to the port that it is now considered a legitimate target. The action follows a hypersonic missile strike on Haifa in April and a ballistic missile strike on Ben Gurion Airport earlier in May. These attacks are part of an escalating effort by the Houthis to punish Israel for its operations in Gaza and assert themselves as a regional actor capable of influencing the eastern Mediterranean.
The blockade coincides with Israel’s launch of Operation Gideon’s Chariots, a campaign aimed at fully capturing Gaza and forcing population displacement. Over 500 Palestinians were reported killed in a matter of days, prompting the Houthis to intensify their threats.
Although a U.S.-Yemen ceasefire was recently brokered through Oman, it excluded restrictions on Houthi attacks against Israel. A New York Times report revealed that President Trump’s administration agreed to this omission after U.S. strikes in Yemen burned through over $1 billion in munitions without achieving air superiority. With American assets protected, Israel remains exposed to Houthi retaliation.
The declaration puts China in a difficult position. SIPG, a state-owned Chinese corporation, was recently approved to double the capacity of Haifa’s Bay Port. This port sits within 2 kilometers of Israel’s primary naval base and is integrated into national security infrastructure. Security officials have long warned that SIPG’s access to digital systems creates vulnerabilities that could be exploited by China or shared with Iranian allies.
Despite its investment in Haifa, China has cultivated a quiet non-aggression pact with the Houthis. Reports from the Atlantic Council and U.S. Treasury sanctions show that China provides the Houthis with satellite intelligence, drone components, and missile guidance systems, while receiving safe passage guarantees for its vessels in Red Sea shipping lanes. The result is asymmetric economic warfare: European and U.S. shippers reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, while Chinese-linked shipping continues unimpeded.
The blockade of Haifa, however, forces China to confront a contradiction. Beijing’s economic expansion into Israeli infrastructure now overlaps with its indirect military support for groups actively threatening that same infrastructure. As the Houthis expand their missile range and target Israeli territory more frequently, China’s role as both port operator and backchannel enabler is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
