The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen announced on Monday that it was imposing an immediate maritime blockade on what it called its “criminal Saudi enemy.”
The terrorists “declare a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of ‘an eye for an eye,’ effective immediately upon the issuance of this statement,” Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in an English-language statement.
“Any foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy through all escalation will be met with a comprehensive and decisive escalation, by Allah’s will and power,” Saree warned.
On July 13, the Houthis claimed to have targeted Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport with “a number of ballistic missiles and drones” in response to alleged Saudi strikes on Sana’a International Airport earlier that day.
Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by Saudi Arabia and operates from the southern port city of Aden, took responsibility for the strike on Sana’a International Airport, saying it was intended to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.
The Houthis control much of northern Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a.
“The Iranian regime-backed Houthi terrorist militia prevented Yemen’s national airline from landing at Sana’a International Airport and insisted on allowing an Iranian aircraft to violate Yemeni airspace. Therefore, the airport runway was targeted,” the Yemeni Armed Forces stated last week.
