Yemen’s Houthis: 16 Saudi ships returned since the blockade

Shafaq News- Sanaa

 Yemen’s Houthis group (Ansarallah) has forced 16 vessels to turn back since announcing the “maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20,” the group’s leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi stated on Thursday, warning of further escalation.

In a televised address, Al-Houthi said the group's actions had disrupted shipping linked to Saudi Arabia, adding, "All indications suggest that Saudi Arabia is moving toward broader escalation, and we will respond in kind.”

Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment on the claim that 16 vessels had been turned back. Riyadh has previously rejected the group's accusations that it is imposing a blockade on Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and has described the declared maritime blockade as a threat to international navigation.

The Saudi-led coalition has also vowed measures to protect vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, saying it would respond to Houthi threats "with firmness and strength."

Separately, Saudi Arabia announced, together with 13 other countries, the establishment of a multinational maritime defense alliance to protect freedom of navigation, international trade routes, and energy supplies in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.