Houthis say 6 ships turned back after navigation ban on Saudi Arabia as Yemen’s government seeks global action

Mohammed Sameai and Sahin Demir

Yemen’s Houthi group said Tuesday that six ships had turned back over the past 24 hours following its newly announced ban on maritime navigation to Saudi Arabia, while the country’s internationally recognized government called for stronger international action against the group.

A Houthi military source, quoted by the group’s Saba news agency, said six vessels had reversed course after receiving warnings from Houthi forces following Monday’s announcement of a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia.

The source did not identify the vessels or specify where they had turned back.

On Monday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree announced a ban on maritime navigation to Saudi Arabia, saying the measure took immediate effect and was in response to what the group described as a Saudi blockade.

The announcement drew condemnation from Saudi Arabia and several Arab countries, prompted moves by Yemen’s government, and led the UN to warn against further escalation.

Separately, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi urged the international community to view the Houthis as “part of an interconnected regional threat network.”

During a meeting with Indian Ambassador Suhel Ajaz Khan, Al-Alimi warned that the Houthis were attempting to drag Yemen into a broader regional conflict “in service of the Iranian regime’s agenda,” according to the government-run Saba news agency.

He said the consequences extended beyond Yemen, threatening security in the Red Sea and Asian countries dependent on the strategic maritime route.

Al-Alimi also accused the Houthis of coordinating with terrorist organizations and armed groups in the Horn of Africa, smuggling weapons and military technology, supporting piracy and transnational crime, and threatening international shipping and global supply chains.

Saudi Arabia also condemned what it described as the Houthis’ “false allegations” and accused the group of deepening the suffering of the Yemeni people while threatening regional security and stability.

In a statement following a Cabinet meeting chaired by King Salman bin Abdulaziz, the kingdom reaffirmed its support for Yemen’s internationally recognized government and vowed to take “firm measures” to protect its security and vessels in accordance with international law and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The situation escalated in Yemen last week after government forces carried out an airstrike on the Houthi-held Sanaa airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack and launched missiles toward Saudi territory, breaking years of calm.