SANAA, Yemen

Yemen’s Houthis said Saturday that they are “keen on peace” and encouraged “adjustments” in the American stance towards Yemen and Palestine.

The Houthis “remain keen on peace (with the United States and Britain) with the least possible escalation,” said Hussein Al-Azzi, the Houthi deputy foreign minister, on X.

He said they “will encourage the required adjustments in American behavior towards Yemen and Palestine.”

But Al-Azzi also warned of their forces' ability to “sink ships and vessels from anywhere around (the coasts of) Yemen to any point in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and the Mediterranean.”

He added that the Houthis will “leave this step for another time,” without providing further details.

As of 1520GMT, there has been no comment from the United States on the Houthi official's statement.

Earlier on Saturday, the Houthis announced that the United States and Britain targeted the coastal Hodeidah Governorate in western Yemen with two airstrikes.

The airstrikes come hours after the Houthis said they had targeted a British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden with naval missiles, causing it to catch on fire.

In solidarity with Gaza, which has been under a destructive Israeli war supported by the US since last Oct. 7, the Houthis have been targeting Israeli-owned or operated cargo ships in the Red Sea, carrying goods to and from Israel.

With the US and British intervention and tensions escalating in January, the Houthis declared that they consider all American and British ships military targets.

​​​​​​​Since Jan. 12, a coalition led by the US has been launching airstrikes to target Houthi sites in Yemen in response to their attacks in the Red Sea, which is occasionally met with responses from the group.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala​​​​​​​