Istanbul / Anatolia

The early hours of Saturday saw a new escalation in the Yemen crisis file, including warning alerts in the Saudi regions of Yanbu and Jazan, following airstrikes carried out by the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen against Houthi sites in Hodeidah province and Kamaran Island in western Yemen.

Saudi civil defense said, in separate statements, that it issued three consecutive alerts in Yanbu and one alert in Jazan via the national early warning platform for emergencies.

It called on residents to move to safe places inside buildings and stay away from windows and open areas, before later declaring the danger over.

The alerts came after the Saudi-led coalition announced it had carried out airstrikes on Houthi sites in Hodeidah and Kamaran Island, in response to the group's targeting, Friday evening, of a ship belonging to a Saudi company while sailing in the Red Sea.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki said, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), that the Houthis 'carried out a cowardly and reckless act when they targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea,' calling it 'maritime terrorism' in one of the most important international waterways.

Al-Maliki added that the coalition carried out a 'firm and strong response' while prioritizing the preservation of the Yemeni people's capabilities, affirming that the joint forces will continue to take necessary measures to protect Saudi ships and interests, and will respond to any hostile acts 'without leniency.'

For his part, Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said his government is moving forward in working with the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy and its international partners to protect waterways and provide a firm deterrent to threats.

Al-Alimi added, in posts on X (reposted by the official Yemeni news agency Saba), that protecting waterways and combating terrorism, smuggling, and organized crime represents 'a national responsibility and a firm commitment to the security of Yemen and the region and protecting international peace and security.'

He warned the Houthi group against continuing escalation, saying its continuation in this approach 'will only lead to further depletion of the country's resources, and will not change the conviction of Yemenis on the need to end the coup and restore state institutions.'

On the other hand, the political bureau of the Houthi group considered the Saudi strikes 'a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of international law,' holding the international community responsible for what it described as the resulting repercussions, according to the group's Al-Masirah TV.

The Houthis had announced on Wednesday targeting two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles and drones, saying the attack caused a fire on them, after they announced the imposition of a 'maritime navigation ban' on Saudi Arabia, in response to what they described as a blockade imposed by Riyadh on areas under their control.

These developments come amid the ongoing Yemen crisis that began about 12 years ago, after the Houthis took control of the capital Sanaa and several provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene militarily in 2015 in support of the Yemeni government.

Despite the relative de-escalation since April 2022, intermittent clashes continue on battlefronts, while tension escalated since the beginning of July with clashes recorded as the fiercest in years, leaving dozens dead and wounded on both sides.