The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed the Kingdom's strongest condemnation of the allegations made by the so-called military spokesperson of the Houthi terrorist militia, who accused the Kingdom of besieging the Yemeni people and claimed imposing a maritime blockade on the Kingdom. In a statement issued Monday, the ministry affirmed that the Kingdom has worked over the past years with the legitimate government of Yemen to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people through development projects, support for the Yemeni government’s budget, and the provision of petroleum derivatives to operate power plants. The ports in northern Yemen (Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Isa) received more than 300 ships carrying various food items goods, fuel, and construction materials during the first half of 2026, while maintaining the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216, including the prohibition on the entry of weapons and ammunition that the militia seeks to smuggle into Yemen by all available means in order to prolong its control over the resources of the Yemeni people. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs recalled the Houthi’s previous widespread attacks targeting the Yemeni people and infrastructure, including the attack on Aden Airport on December 30, 2020, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens of people. During the truce, the militia also targeted oil export ports in southern Yemen on October 21, 2022, and subsequently carried out attacks that aimed to cripple the government’s ability to sell oil, which represents approximately 60% of the government’s revenues, and directly impacting the payment of salaries to government employees, the ministry said in a statement. The militia also seized four aircrafts belonging to Yemenia Airways and detained them at Sanaa Airport after they had transported Yemeni pilgrims from Jeddah. Furthermore, the militia dragged Yemen into the regional conflict and targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea, exacerbating the suffering of the Yemeni people, preventing them from traveling, and worsening the economic situation, particularly in areas under the control of the Houthi militia. The Houthi militia rejected all initiatives to resume flights from Sanaa Airport, most recently the Jordanian initiative, and has continued to commit humanitarian violations against Yemeni citizens. The militia is now attempting to deflect responsibility for the economic challenges and growing public discontent it faces by fabricating false accusations against the Kingdom. The statement said that the Kingdom aims to achieve peace in Yemen and end the suffering of the Yemeni people. Saudi Arabia has supported UN efforts to achieve peace in Yemen over the past years, including the roadmap accepted by the Yemeni government, while the Houthi militia refrained from announcing its acceptance and instead engaged in the regional conflict in support of its sinister agenda and objectives, exacerbating the suffering of Yemeni citizens in the areas under its control. The Kingdom also called upon the international community to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2216 on Yemen and Resolution 2722 on the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. At the same time, the Kingdom affirmed that it will take all necessary measures to protect its ships in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
