The Saudi Foreign Ministry statement on Monday refuted the allegations raised by the so-called Houthi military spokesman accusing the Kingdom of blockading the Yemeni people and imposing a maritime navigation ban on them. The statement included a set of details in two parts: to respond to Houthi allegations against Riyadh, and to announce the position on the Houthi declaration of a maritime navigation ban on the Kingdom.

The Saudi Council of Ministers, during its session chaired by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz in Jeddah yesterday, stressed the Kingdom's continued support for Yemen and its legitimate government, https://t.co/uVMh3rH5PC

— Asharq Al-Awsat Newspaper (@aawsat_News) July 22, 2026

Experts speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat considered that the Saudi statement, which at the same time condemned the announcement of a maritime navigation ban on the Kingdom and came amid Houthi escalation through the Monday announcement of a navigation ban in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, can rightly be called a 'statement of affirmation and refutation' as it included a number of Saudi refutation positions against Houthi allegations, in addition to affirmations of what it has done over the past years with the legitimate Yemeni government to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, including continuing to implement development projects, supporting the Yemeni government budget, providing petroleum derivatives to operate power plants, and expressing its continued support for the Yemeni people and their legitimate government.

Satellite image of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait (NASA)

Saudi Arabia confirmed early Thursday, following the targeting of the ship 'Insilia' belonging to one of the Saudi companies in the Red Sea, that it will take all necessary measures to secure it, its crew, and protect the marine environment.

A set of facts in a two-part statement

Commenting on the content and timing of the statement, especially the parts related to responding to Houthi allegations, journalist Abdul Latif Al-Mulhim believes that Riyadh has placed development and maintaining the stability of the Yemeni economy at the top of its priorities, through continuing development projects, supporting the Yemeni government budget, and providing petroleum derivatives to operate power plants, which contributes to improving the lives of Yemenis, meeting their needs, and alleviating their suffering amid difficult economic conditions. In a related context, Al-Mulhim sees that the suffering of the Yemeni people was not the result of an alleged blockade; the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Isa are open and ships, goods, food, medicine, and petroleum derivatives enter through them continuously, while the Houthis prevented the legitimate government from exporting crude oil, which represents nearly 60 percent of its revenues, and rejected initiatives aimed at operating regular flights through Sanaa Airport.

Reminder of Saudi initiatives since the 'Houthi coup'

Al-Mulhim agrees with the assertion that the Kingdom seeks to achieve peace and end the suffering of the Yemeni people, has supported UN efforts and the roadmap, and has called on the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding the implementation of Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolutions 2216 and 2722 concerning the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. He recalled a number of Saudi initiatives, or international initiatives supported by Riyadh, since the 'Houthi coup' and since reaching the truce agreement at a later stage, but the militia that does not recognize the state cannot sit at a table that will ultimately lead to a comprehensive and normal state.

A cargo ship previously attacked by Houthis in the Red Sea (Archive - Reuters)

Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, a political analyst specializing in international relations, believes that the Saudi response carried a clarification of the position, because from his point of view Riyadh will not accept that its relations with the Yemeni people and their legitimate government be distorted by the 'Houthi coup plotters,' especially since it has provided many forms of political, economic, military, and development support to help Yemen overcome its complex crises in all aspects. Al-Ibrahim expects that 'Houthi propaganda,' which is fully consistent with the narrative presented by the militias affiliated with the so-called 'Axis of Resistance,' will not deceive the sons of the Yemeni people, who will not need to search for what the Kingdom has done to help the neighboring state.

The international community is required to take a position

Al-Ibrahim says that Saudi Arabia, due to its strategic position and status regionally and internationally, realizes that it is a legitimate target for this propaganda, but this time the difference is that the Houthis are presenting it as a pretext to ignite the situation in Bab el-Mandeb in the service of the interests of other parties, not the Yemeni people. He added that the coincidence of Houthi allegations with their threat to international navigation clearly reveals that it is a real problem for the world, not just for the Kingdom, and therefore the international community is required to take a clear position in which it assumes its responsibilities as requested by Saudi Arabia, which has clearly announced that it will take all necessary measures to protect its ships in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Photo of 'Insilia' from the website of 'Bahri' company, to which the ship belongs

As for the aspect of Saudi Arabia's affirmation that it will take all necessary measures to protect its ships in accordance with international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, political analyst Muneef Al-Harbi says that we are facing a pivotal stage, 'the first features of which began with the legitimate Yemeni government's move to prevent the landing of the Iranian Mahan Air plane at Sanaa Airport, which confused the Houthis and proved to everyone that the battle for sovereignty belongs to the legitimate Yemeni government.' Al-Harbi believes that this step prompted the Houthis to announce the threat to navigation in Bab el-Mandeb and present a false narrative of blockade for blockade, saying it was 'an attempt to escape from internal crises.'

Military deterrence and political solution on the table

Al-Harbi describes the Saudi pledge, along with the statement of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, as a 'firm response' because it implicitly indicates military deterrence if necessary, as well as a firm emphasis on adherence to Security Council Resolutions 2216 and 2722, and a call for the international community to do its duty to protect international straits, including the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Al-Harbi concluded that the Houthis, 'with their misreading of events, are clashing with the legitimate Yemeni government, the Saudi-led coalition, and the international community.' Nevertheless, the political solution is still on the table with the roadmap proposed by the UN envoy in late 2023, but that, according to Al-Harbi, is conditional on 'the Houthis returning to their senses and abandoning the regional calculations that are destroying Yemen.'

Your Premium trial has ended

"); googletag.cmd.push(function() { onDvtagReady(function () { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-3341368-4'); }); }); }