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Yemen's Houthi armed forces announced an immediate ban on Saudi maritime navigation Monday, citing what they described as a Saudi blockade of and attacks on areas under Houthi control, and warned that further Saudi escalation would be met with a "comprehensive and harsh" response.
The rebels "declare a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye,' effective immediately upon the issuance of this statement," military spokesman Yahya Saree said.
In an official statement, Houthi armed forces declared what they called a full maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, describing the move as based on a "blockade for blockade" principle, and said the decision would take effect immediately upon publication of the statement.
A Houthi spokesperson said the move was a direct response to what the group described as a Saudi blockade of areas under Houthi control in Yemen
The Houthis also issued a call for general mobilization.
"We call on the sons of our great people to continue general mobilization and the general call to arms, and full readiness for all scenarios and developments, and to support the fronts with fighters," the group said in its statement.
"Any folly the reckless Saudi enemy commits through comprehensive escalation, we will confront with comprehensive and harsh escalation."
The statement accused Saudi Arabia of maintaining restrictions on ports, airports and border crossings for nearly 12 years, saying the measures had worsened humanitarian conditions and pushed the suffering of Yemenis to "an unbearable level."
It also accused Riyadh of plundering the country's resources and said the restrictions lacked any legal or humanitarian basis, describing them as an "unjust" blockade that had caused catastrophic consequences for civilians.
The Houthis further cited the targeting of Sana'a International Airport last week as part of as continued Saudi aggression, saying Yemen had the right to respond to the blockade and military actions "by all available means."
The announcement raises fresh concerns over the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, one of the world's most strategically important maritime chokepoints linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.
The waterway has become increasingly critical to global energy markets since disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz forced Gulf producers to rely more heavily on Red Sea export routes.
Saudi Arabia has diverted more than 70% of its normal crude exports to its Red Sea terminal at Yanbu since the Hormuz crisis intensified. According to Kpler data, crude shipments from Yanbu have averaged around 4 million barrels per day in recent weeks, up from roughly 973,000 barrels per day during the same period last year.
The rerouting has sharply increased the importance of Bab el-Mandeb. Kpler data show that petroleum flows through the strait reached about 7.4 million barrels per day in June—equivalent to roughly 7% of global oil production—up from around 4.2 million barrels per day a year earlier.
Any prolonged disruption to the Bab el-Mandeb would threaten the alternative route sustaining Gulf oil exports, particularly as the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted, with Brent crude briefly climbing to $88.6 a barrel after the Houthi announcement.
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