World

Houthis declare naval blockade against Saudi Arabia

By AAP Newswire

Jul 20, 2026

Air strikes hitting Sanaa airport in Sanaa, Yemen — Sanaa International Airport was struck during an exchange between the Houthis and Saudi-led forces. -EPA

Yemen's Houthi rebels have announced they are imposing a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in response for a recent attack on Sanaa Airport.

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Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Iran-aligned Houthis, said in a video statement on Monday that the maritime ban against Saudi Arabia would be effective immediately in what he described as an "equation of 'an eye for an eye'."

The statement did not clarify exactly what a maritime embargo would consist of.

Saree's remarks come after a fiery exchange between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen last week during which Sanaa International Airport and Abha airport in Saudi Arabia were struck, threatening a truce that has been in place since 2022.

The decision by Yemen's Houthi rebels could put new pressure on Saudi Arabia as it is using its East-West Pipeline to try to get oil out of the kingdom as the Strait of Hormuz remains in Iran's chokehold.

That pipeline sends oil to the Red Sea for the kingdom to send on to its customers.

The threat by the Houthis comes after the rebels targeted ships for months over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which saw over 100 vessels attacked.

It remains unclear whether the Houthis will keep up that level of attack now against Saudi Arabia - or if this is a measure to try to pressure the kingdom to concede over local issues, as the Yemen war remains broadly frozen in place.