Yemen's Houthis announce 'maritime embargo' on Saudi Arabia

What the report says

BBC World News reported that Yemen’s Houthis have declared what they called a “maritime embargo” on Saudi Arabia, saying it took effect immediately. The group’s military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, described the move as retaliation for what the Houthis say is a Saudi blockade of ports and airports in Houthi-held north-western Yemen. Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry rejected the allegation and said it would take measures allowed under international law to protect Saudi shipping.

The announcement’s practical scope remains unclear. According to the BBC, Sarea gave limited operational detail, while Houthi media official Nasruddin Amer said on X that the group was closing the Bab al-Mandab Strait to Saudi vessels. The strait, between south-western Yemen and the Horn of Africa, links the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea and is a key route toward the Suez Canal.

The development follows a recent flare-up after years of reduced fighting between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia under an informal truce dating to 2022. The Houthis said last week they fired missiles at Abha airport in south-western Saudi Arabia after strikes on Sanaa airport, which they blamed on Riyadh. The Saudi-backed Yemeni government claimed those strikes, saying it was trying to stop an Iranian aircraft landing without authorization.

The BBC noted that Red Sea shipping is especially sensitive because the US-Israeli war with Iran has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, increasing reliance on Saudi crude shipments from the Red Sea port of Yanbu. Analysts cited by Reuters said even a threat could unsettle shipping, though it remains uncertain whether the Houthis will target Saudi-bound vessels.