SANA’A: Yemen’s armed forces have claimed that six commercial vessels altered their course and withdrew from the Red Sea after receiving warnings against heading toward Saudi Arabian ports.
According to a Yemeni military source cited by Iranian state media, the ships were allegedly attempting to continue toward Saudi Arabia despite what Yemen describes as a maritime blockade. The source said the vessels turned back toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Suez Canal after being warned by authorities in Sanaa.
The report further stated that Yemen’s Parliamentary Leadership Committee declared the country had exhausted all peaceful options and diplomatic efforts over the past several years. The committee said it would no longer tolerate what it described as Saudi Arabia’s continued policies and insisted that Riyadh would bear responsibility for ignoring previous warnings and proposals.
Earlier, Yemen’s armed forces spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree announced the enforcement of a maritime blockade on vessels heading to Saudi ports. He said the measure was introduced in response to what Yemen describes as more than a decade of land, sea, and air restrictions imposed by Saudi Arabia.
According to the spokesperson, any vessel attempting to reach Saudi ports in violation of the announced restrictions could become a military target.
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The claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate official confirmation from Saudi Arabia or independent maritime authorities regarding the reported diversion of the six ships.
