The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen threatened to respond with force on Monday after Houthi spokesperson Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree declared an immediate naval blockade on the kingdom. Coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said forces had begun protecting coalition shipping through Bab el-Mandeb and would respond “firmly and forcefully” to any threat against passing vessels, calling the blockade an act of piracy and rejecting Houthi claims that Riyadh was besieging Yemen, noting that more than 300 commercial vessels had docked at Houthi-controlled ports in the first half of 2026, according to Middle East Online.
The declaration follows the collapse of a truce that had held since 2022, after Saudi Arabia struck Sanaa airport on July 13 and the Houthis retaliated against Abha airport, according to The Washington Times.
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi framed the blockade as part of an Iran-directed effort to drag Yemen into wider conflict, warning the threat extends to Red Sea states and Asian economies dependent on the corridor, according to a PLC statement.
Crude transiting Bab el-Mandeb reached 5.4 million barrels per day in early 2026, up from 3.7 million a year earlier, as shippers rerouted from a blockaded Strait of Hormuz, according to EIA data cited by Time.
