Irael’s Eilat Port has seen an 85 per cent drop in activity since Yemen’s Houthis stepped up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, the port’s chief executive said, according to Reuters.

The Houthis are playing an escalating role in the conflict in the Middle East, also firing drones and missiles at Israel in a campaign they say aims to support Palestinians amid Israeli bombardment in Gaza.

Eilat, which primarily handles car imports and potash exports coming from the Dead Sea, pales in size compared to Israel’s Mediterranean ports in Haifa and Ashdod which handle most of the country’s trade.