Houthi rebels warn of response to airport strike, declare naval blockade

Houthi rebel leader Mahdi al-Mashat warned that the strike on Sanaa airport 'will not go unanswered', announcing a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in a 'siege for siege' response, threatening further escalation if Riyadh's blockade continues.

Houthi rebel leader Mahdi al-Mashat has warned that the July 13 strike on Sanaa International Airport "will not go unanswered", while announcing a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in what the Houthis called a "siege for siege" response to Riyadh's alleged blockade of Yemen.

According to Al Jazeera, al-Mashat, head of the governing body of the Houthi administration, said the strike on Sanaa International Airport had exposed Saudi Arabia as the force behind a years-long siege on the Yemeni people. In statements carried by the Houthi-affiliated broadcaster al-Masirah, al-Mashat dismissed what he referred to as political and media manoeuvring, saying Saudi Arabia had "no option but to end the siege on the Yemeni people." He added that the strike on Sanaa International Airport was "a reckless and condemned act."

'Siege for Siege' Naval Blockade

Meanwhile, Iran's Press TV reported that Houthi rebels had declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, with the group's military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree announcing "a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'siege for siege,'" adding that "it will come into force from the moment this statement is issued." According to the statement, the blockade was imposed in response to Saudi Arabia's continued "unjust and oppressive siege on our dear people for nearly 12 years, plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade on ports and airports by land, sea, and air," as well as the July 13 strike on Sanaa International Airport.

Saree said Houthi rebels were in "complete readiness for all options," warning that "any foolish act" by Riyadh would be met with a "harsh" response. The statement also praised what it called the steadfastness of the Yemeni people and their participation in mass demonstrations in support of the Houthi administration, adding, "We assure them that we will spare no effort in restoring their plundered rights and ending the unjust siege against them, regardless of the results and repercussions."

Escalating Tensions

According to Press TV, tensions escalated earlier this month after Saudi Arabia attempted to prevent the return of an Iranian aircraft carrying a delegation of Houthi rebels from Tehran, where they had attended the funeral of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei. The aircraft was diverted after Sanaa airport was bombed and later landed safely in Hudaydah.

Warning of 'All-Out War'

Separately, Press TV reported that Hizam al-Assad, a senior member of Ansarullah's political bureau, warned that Yemen was prepared to escalate to "all-out war" if the blockade was not lifted. "We are today facing a difficult dilemma: either we die of starvation, or we reclaim our right by resorting to force," al-Assad said, according to remarks cited by Al-Mayadeen.

He warned that Houthi rebels were prepared to target Saudi oil facilities, refineries and export ports with missiles and drones if the blockade continued, and said Saudi Arabia would bear responsibility for any environmental consequences resulting from attacks on oil infrastructure.

Conflict Background

According to Press TV, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed the blockade on Yemen as part of the military campaign launched in March 2015. The report said the conflict has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and that, following a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, the United States, Britain and Israel carried out repeated military operations against Yemen, which it said were aimed at preventing attacks on Israeli targets linked to the war in Gaza. (ANI)

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