Saudi Arabia Vows Decisive Action to Protect Commercial Vessels After Houthi Blockade Threat

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will take all necessary measures to protect vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the entrance to the Red Sea, in response to threats of a maritime blockade by Yemen's pro-Iranian Houthi rebels.
According to the Saudi state-run SPA news agency, Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Arab coalition, stated in a statement on July 20 (local time) that "the Joint Forces Command is taking all decisive and firm measures, in accordance with international humanitarian law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to protect commercial vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait."
He further emphasized, "All threats by the Houthis against vessels passing through the strait are a blatant violation of international law and constitute acts of piracy, and we will respond to them swiftly and decisively."
International humanitarian law and the UNCLOS prohibit attacks targeting civilians in armed conflicts and control measures that prevent free navigation in international waterways, respectively.
General al-Maliki dismissed the Houthis' claim that the maritime blockade is a response to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Houthi-controlled ports and airports, calling it "lies spread to escalate tensions."
He pointed out, "In the first half of 2026, more than 300 commercial vessels carrying food, goods, oil, and construction materials entered the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa," adding, "It is the Houthi militia (rebels) that closed Sanaa International Airport and rejected proposals to resume flights."
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs also immediately issued a statement criticizing the Houthi threat.
According to AFP, the Saudi Foreign Ministry stated in its release, "We strongly condemn the declaration of a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia by the so-called military spokesperson of the terrorist Houthi militia," and affirmed that Saudi Arabia "will continue to support the legitimate government and people of brotherly Yemen."
Previously, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree declared the maritime blockade, claiming it was in retaliation for recent Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa Airport and the blockade of ports under their control.
While the Houthis did not specify the exact methods of the blockade, observers suggest they intend to disrupt Saudi crude oil exports by blocking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Arabian Sea.
With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed amid tensions between the United States and Iran, a blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea would inevitably deal a severe blow to the global energy supply chain.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.