Saudi condemns Houthi maritime blockade threat; group warns of escalation

July 21 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia ‌on Monday ​condemned ​what it described as allegations by Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis that the kingdom was besieging the Yemeni people, after ‌the group announced it would impose a maritime blockade ⁠on Saudi Arabia.

The Houthis said on Monday they would impose a naval ‌blockade on Saudi Arabia, opening ‌a potential new front against the United States in its war with Iran and raising the threat to global energy ​supplies and trade beyond the Gulf.

In their statement, the Houthis' armed forces said they were declaring "a maritime embargo against ⁠the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye', effective ​immediately" in response to what they called "an unjust and oppressive siege" imposed on Yemen by the Saudis.

The ​Saudi foreign ministry condemned allegations by ‌the Houthi military spokesperson that the kingdom was besieging Yemen and imposing a maritime blockade. Saudi would ⁠take "all necessary measures" to protect its ships, the ministry said in a statement.

Yemen has been mired in civil war for more than a ⁠decade since the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, prompting a Saudi-led military ​intervention in 2015 in support of the internationally recognised government.

The conflict has since evolved into one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, leaving the ‌country divided between a Saudi-backed government in Aden and a Houthi administration in Sanaa.

Cargo ships and ‌other vessels have regularly arrived at the port of Houthi-controlled Hodeidah, ⁠including in recent weeks, delivering ‌food fuel and ​other goods, according to shipping data.

(Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din, Ahmed Tolba and Enas Alashray; Editing by ‌Lincoln Feast.)

---

Serious News for Serious Traders! Try StreetInsider.com Premium Free!

---

You May Also Be Interested In

• European shares slip as oil prices and bond yields surge on Middle East fears
• Russia warns Britain of 'consequences' for supplying drones to Ukraine
• Ukraine launches 620 drones at Moscow region in major attack, mayor says