A post shared on X, formerly Twitter, claims that the “Yemeni Navy” is mining the waters of the Red Sea.

BREAKING:

⚡ 🇾🇪🇺🇲 The Yemeni Navy began mining the waters in the Red Sea

After the US and a coalition of 9 other states announced the imminent start of a military operation against Yemen, Houthis began to mine their waters.

I have a feeling that a big incident is going to… pic.twitter.com/pMZ4Yq2zpe

— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) December 20, 2023

Verdict: Misleading

The Houthis, a rebel group, have attacked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, not the Yemeni government. There is no evidence that the group has begun to mine the Red Sea. The image is from 2018, not recent.

Fact Check:

The Houthis announced that they attacked an Israeli port and attacked a commercial vessel with a missile strike, according to the Times of Israel.

Social media users have been sharing a post claiming that the Yemeni Navy has begun to mine the Red Sea waters. The post is accompanied by an image of armed men.

This post is misleading. First, there is no evidence that the Houthis have mined the Red Sea. If the Houthis had begun to mine the Red Sea, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. Breaking Defense, for example, reported in 2021 that the Houthis had placed sea mines in the Red Sea and that at least a few vessels had been hit by them.

Second, the Houthis are not the Yemeni government. The Yemeni government, recognized by the United Nations, welcomed an effort from the UN to end the civil war in Yemen, according to Voice of America. (RELATED: Does Video Show Two Palestinian Journalists Celebrating Missile Launching In Gaza?)

Last, the image in the post is from 2018. The image is from a 2018 post where the Houthis announced that they have started to create naval mines.