RIYADH: Saudi authorities on Monday strongly condemned claims by a Houthi military spokesperson that the militant group had imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia. They also condemned Houthi accusations that the Kingdom has besieged the Yemeni people.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry said: “The Kingdom affirms that it has worked over the past years with the legitimate government of Yemen to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people through the continuation of development projects, support for the Yemeni government’s budget and the provision of petroleum derivatives to operate power plants.”
More than 300 ships carrying a variety of food items, goods, fuel and construction materials arrived at ports in northern Yemen, including Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Isa, during the first half of 2026, the ministry statement added.
It also highlighted Houthi attacks against the Yemeni people and the country’s infrastructure, including an assault on Aden Airport on Dec. 30, 2020, that killed or injured dozens of people, and strikes that targeted oil-export facilities in southern Yemen on Oct. 21, 2022.
The Houthis have carried out other attacks that aimed to cripple the ability of the Yemeni government to sell oil, the ministry added, which represents about 60 percent of government revenues and directly affects the payment of salaries to government employees. In June 2024, the militia also seized and detained four aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airways that were due to bring Yemeni pilgrims home from Jeddah, it said.
The militia has dragged Yemen into the wider regional conflict and targeted international commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the ministry said, thereby exacerbating the suffering of the Yemeni people, preventing them from traveling, and worsening the economic situation in the country, particularly in areas under Houthi control.
The Houthis have rejected all initiatives to resume flights from Sanaa Airport, continues to commit humanitarian violations against Yemeni citizens, and are now attempting to deflect responsibility for the economic challenges and growing public discontent they face by fabricating false accusations against Saudi Arabia, it added.
The Kingdom aims to achieve peace in Yemen and end the suffering of the Yemeni people, the ministry said. To that end, it said that Saudi Arabia has supported UN efforts to bring peace to the country, including a road map that was accepted by the Yemeni government while the Houthi militia has failed to accept it and instead engaged in the wider regional conflict in support of its own sinister agenda and objectives, thereby exacerbating the suffering of Yemeni citizens in areas under its control.
The Kingdom called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2216 on Yemen itself, and Resolution 2722 on the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The ministry said the Kingdom affirmed that it would take all necessary steps to protect its ships in accordance with the principles of international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It also reaffirmed that the Kingdom continues to support the Yemeni people and their legitimate government.
Meanwhile, the official spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Malki, issued a statement declaring that the coalition had begun to implement measures to protect its vessels transiting through Bab El-Mandab Strait.
“All Houthi threats against transiting vessels will be dealt with swiftly and firmly, as such threats are a blatant violation of international law and fall under acts of maritime piracy,” he said.
“The claims regarding the closure of Yemeni ports and airports fall under Houthi fallacies and escalations against the Yemeni government and neighboring countries.
“This Houthi blockade narrative is false. During the first half of 2026, more than 300 commercial vessels entered the ports of Hodeida, Salif and Ras Isa carrying foodstuffs, goods, oil and construction materials.
“The Houthi militia are the ones who caused the closure of Sanaa International Airport, destroyed the Yemenia Airways fleet, and refused all initiatives to resume flights to and from the airport.”
