Yemeni Forces Declare Readiness to Strike Saudi Targets “In Response to Popular Demands,” Announce Ballistic Missile and Drone Attack
NYN | Reports and analyses:
Yemeni forces from the Sanaa government confirmed today, Friday, their readiness to fulfill “popular demands” to respond to what they describe as hostile actions by the “Saudi regime.” They also announced a joint military operation by their naval, missile, and drone forces targeting a ship in the Red Sea.
The spokesperson for Sanaa forces, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, stated that “the naval forces, the drone air force, and the missile force of the Yemeni armed forces conducted a joint military operation targeting the ship (Charysalis) in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab,” adding that “the ship was targeted because the owning company violated the ban on entering the ports of occupied Palestine.”
He explained that the ship was targeted twice: “first in the Red Sea and then in Bab al-Mandab with several appropriate ballistic and naval missiles and drones.”
Saree emphasized that the operations are “in support of the oppressed Palestinian people and their fighters, and in response to the massacres committed by the Israeli enemy against the people of Gaza,” reaffirming that “the Yemeni armed forces’ operations will not cease until the aggression is halted and the blockade on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted.”
The statement read: “The Yemeni armed forces salute all the great Yemeni people for their unprecedented massive turnout in the provinces and districts, affirming their continued military support for the Palestinian resistance.”
The Sanaa forces reiterated their readiness to strike Saudi targets, as stated by their spokesperson: “In light of the hostile actions against the great Yemeni people by the Saudi regime, executed under American directives and in service to the Israeli enemy, the Yemeni armed forces affirm their military readiness to implement the legitimate popular demands to respond to those actions {And those who have wronged are going to know to what [kind of] return they will be returned}.”
بيان القوات المسلحة اليمنية بشأن تنفيذ عملية عسكرية استهدفت سفينة (Charysalis) مرتين أولاهما في البحر الأحمر والأخرى في بابِ المندب، لانتهاك الشركة المالكة لها قرار حظر الدخول إلى موانئ فلسطين المحتلة – 12-07-2024م pic.twitter.com/KD5Bo2R5Gy
— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) July 12, 2024
The leader of the “Ansar Allah” movement, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, had previously threatened to strike critical Saudi infrastructure, including airports, banks, and ports, accusing Saudi Arabia of engaging in “hostile actions against the Yemeni people in service to America and Israel.”
In a televised speech last Sunday, al-Houthi stated, “The most significant focus of American hostility towards our country is the economic domain, as it affects everyone. The Americans have sent a message to Sanaa confirming that they will push Saudi Arabia to take hostile actions against Yemen,” adding that “the pressure to relocate banks from Sanaa is a reckless and foolish move; no one in the world thinks in this manner. The Americans know the adverse impact of relocating banks on the living conditions of the Yemeni people, their currency, and the prices in the country.”
Al-Houthi explained that “following the bank relocation move, the Saudis moved to disable Sanaa Airport and halt flights despite their limited scope,” noting that inflammatory statements from the Israeli, American, and British sides towards the Saudis continued with demands to close the port, indicating that they issued advice and warnings through all intermediaries for the Saudis to retract this ‘foolish step,’ but the Saudis are still procrastinating.”
He also said, “The Americans want to entangle the Saudis in a comprehensive war, considering that there is no justification for the Saudis’ ‘hostile actions’ against our people other than serving the Israelis,” adding, “What they did over the past nine years is not enough for them, nor their occupation of a large part of the country and their control over oil wealth, nor their mobilization of mercenaries and agents to fight their people, so they turned to reckless and foolish steps,” according to him.
Al-Houthi stated that they would not stand idle in the face of “their reckless steps or watch the people starve and their economic situation collapse,” noting that “Yemen’s engagement in the direct battle to support Gaza does not mean that it cannot take action against their hostile steps. Anyone who thinks they can exterminate our people through hunger, disease, epidemics, and severe blockade is mistaken.”
He confirmed that Yemen would meet any “hostile” step with a similar one: “banks for banks, Riyadh Airport for Sanaa Airport, ports for the port, and that entanglement with the Americans and Israelis involves loss for Saudi interests and security, and bringing danger to their oil.” He addressed the Saudi regime, saying, “When you force us into inevitable options, we will move with full conviction and reassurance because we are already in war, blockade, and suffering. We will not allow the annihilation of our people and their descent into complete collapse to avoid a problem; let a thousand thousand problems happen.”
He continued, “The Americans are trying to entangle you, and if you want that, try it. If you want good for yourselves and stability for your country and economy, stop your conspiracies against our country. If you get more entangled, our escalation will be greater, and do not rely on the Americans; they are failures and could not protect their military vessels in the Red Sea.”
Following this, the Sanaa government forces released aerial photos of several of the most significant and largest airports and ports in Saudi Arabia, along with their coordinates, confirming that they would be on their target list following al-Houthi’s threats.
