Yemen’s Houthis declare ‘maritime blockade’ on Saudi Arabia

​​​​​​​Last week, the Houthi group accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out an air strike on the Sanaa airport and launched missiles toward Saudi territory, breaking years of calm.

While Riyadh did not comment on the Houthi accusation, Yemen’s internationally recognised government claimed responsibility for the strike, saying it targeted the airport to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing.

For more than a decade, aircraft entering Yemeni airspace have needed prior clearance from the Saudi-led coalition that backs Yemen’s government and says it enforces the restriction at its request.

As part of the Gaza war, the Houthis previously attacked shipping in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, which leads to Europe via the Suez Canal, forcing ships to take lengthy detours around Africa.

The Red Sea is also home to the Saudi port of Yanbu, through which Riyadh has been able to export millions of barrels of oil, bypassing Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf during its war with the United States.