The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen threatened on Monday to respond with "force" after Houthi military spokesperson Brig.-Gen.Yahya Saree declared an immediate naval blockade on the kingdom in a televised speech.
The coalition added that it had already begun implementing safety measures for Saudi ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Houthis announces maritime embargo
The Iran-backed terror group announced "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."
Saree also said that any "foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy will be met with a comprehensive and decisive escalation" by the Yemeni terror group.
The Houthis said the blockade was in response to Saudi Arabia's alleged continued "unjust and oppressive siege on our dear people for nearly 12 years, plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade on our ports and airports by land, sea, and air."
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 recognized 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.
Houthis fired missiles at Saudi Arabia last week
The group fired missiles at Saudi Arabia last week after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control, breaking a four-year truce in the conflict between the kingdom and the Iran-backed group.
The strikes were the first claimed by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia since an informal truce went into effect in March 2022 following Houthi attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure.
Saudi Arabia condemns Houthi behavior
In a post on X/Twitter later on Monday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry condemned the Houthis' actions, adding that it "aims to achieve peace in Yemen and end the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people."
It also recalled previous Houthi attacks on the country, including the Aden Airport attack in 2020 and the targeting of oil export ports in southern Yemen in 2022.
Additionally, it called on the international community to "fulfill its responsibilities regarding the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions," highlighting resolutions regarding rights and freedoms of navigation in the Red Sea.