Houthi warns of retaliation if Saudi Arabia “colludes” with US

As the US military continues to strike Houthi targets in Yemen in retaliation for the group’s attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Iran-aligned rebel group has once again warned any country that takes part in the attack on Yemen.

In an interview with Al-Masirah TV channel (Yemen) on March 24, Mr. Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, described the US attacks on Yemen as unjustified, warning that the Houthis would not be silent and would respond accordingly.

Mr. Al-Houthi also accused the United States of pressuring some countries to join the coalition against his country. Naming a traditional ally of Washington in the Middle East, the senior Houthi official said: “We have sent a message to Saudi Arabia that it will be targeted if it allows American warplanes to use its territory or airspace to commit aggression against Yemen.”

US and British forces have been striking Houthi military facilities in Yemen since the beginning of the year to deter the group as it continues to target commercial vessels in the Red Sea, a vital shipping route for global trade.

Saudi Arabia, which shares a border with Yemen to the south, has not joined US-led air strikes or naval operations aimed at providing commercial ships safe passage through the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Arab world's leading kingdom is trying to reach a peace deal with Houthi forces to end Yemen's civil war, a conflict that has raged for most of the past decade but the sides have maintained a fragile ceasefire since 2022.

World - Houthi warns of retaliation if Saudi Arabia — Map showing the locations of Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Graphic: Bloomberg

Riyadh has led a US-backed military campaign against the Houthis since 2015. But it now sees peace in Yemen as key to keeping the wider Gulf region stable and advancing its plans for a large-scale economic transformation.

Prior to the ceasefire in Yemen, the Houthis frequently attacked Saudi Arabian territory. In 2019, the group claimed an attack that briefly knocked out about half of the kingdom's oil production.

The Houthis, an Iran-backed Islamist group, have been undeterred by US and British airstrikes and continue to attack warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea region with missiles and drones on an almost daily basis.

They recently said they would expand their campaign to target ships that avoid the Red Sea and instead sail around southern Africa.

Al-Houthi's statement that Saudi Arabia needs to take more serious steps toward a peace plan signals more strained relations between the Houthis and the Kingdom.

The Houthi official stressed that talks cannot progress until Riyadh agrees to resume payments for some salaries, electricity and other services in Yemen.

Mr Al-Houthi also confirmed that the group had assured China and Russia that its ships could move safely in the area, and stressed that countries without ties or links to Israel “should not worry”.

Speaking to Al-Masirah, a television channel run by the group, Al-Houthi did not mention the Huang Pu, a Chinese-owned oil tanker that was hit by a missile in the Red Sea on March 23.

The US military said the ship was hit by four ballistic missiles and sent out a distress signal but suffered only minor damage, no casualties and no assistance was required .

Minh Duc (According to Bloomberg, Al Monitor)

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