RIYADH – Saudi Arabia has announced striking legitimate military targets in Yemen that the Houthi militia used to threaten commercial vessels in the Red Sea as the Middle East conflict widened amid exchange of strikes between the US and Iran.
Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki issued a statement the coalition has executed a firm, resolute, and proportionate military response while preserving the capabilities of the brotherly people of Yemen.
He said the Houthi militia had undertaken a reckless and cowardly act by targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
“This terrorist act adds to a long list of maritime crimes and acts of terror in one of the most important international sea lines of communication. The Kingdom has and will always stand alongside the brotherly people of Yemen and their government, and in these dire and difficult times, we renew our commitment to stand alongside them in the face of the terrorist Houthi militia,” read the statement.
The spokespersons clarified, “Hodeida Port was not targeted, and all Yemeni ports, including Hodeida, Ras Isa, and Salif, are open to maritime navigation and are operational in receiving commercial vessels carrying all sorts of foodstuffs, commodities, oil, and construction materials, in addition to all air traffic to and from Yemeni airports. The Houthi militia is still refusing flight operations to Sana’a International Airport, imposing a siege against the Yemeni people to exacerbate the suffering it has caused, compounding the agony imposed by the militia against our brotherly Yemeni people in areas it controls”.
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will continue to undertake all necessary operational procedures and measures to protect the interests of the Kingdom and its national assets, in addition to protecting our vessels.
Houthi forces announced that they had launched a missile attack targeting Saudi Arabia on Saturday, only hours after declaring their intention to respond to what they described as Saudi military aggression amid the expanding regional conflict in the Middle East.
Earlier, the group had condemned the kingdom’s actions as a “serious escalation,” warning that such operations would inevitably provoke a retaliatory response.
In a statement shared via its Ansarollah-affiliated Telegram channel during the early hours of Saturday, the Houthis asserted that a missile fired from Yemen had struck the southern Saudi city of Jizan, located along the Red Sea coast, allegedly igniting multiple fires in the area.
