The official spokesman for the coalition forces "Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen", Major General Turki Al-Maliki, stated that the Joint Forces Command of the coalition is taking and implementing all decisive and strict operational measures, in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, to protect our naval ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Al-Maliki explained that claims about the closure of Yemeni ports and airports come in the context of fallacies and Houthi escalation against the Yemeni government and neighboring countries, and that the Houthi narrative about the siege is misleading, as more than 300 commercial ships entered the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Issa during the first half of 2026, carrying various food items, goods, fuel, and construction materials.

Al-Maliki added that the Houthi militia caused the closure of Sana'a International Airport and the destruction of aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airways, and that they also rejected all initiatives to resume flights to and from the airport.

Major General Al-Maliki affirmed that the Joint Forces Command of the coalition has initiated the implementation of measures to protect coalition ships through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and will respond to Houthi threats against passing ships with all firmness and strength, considering these threats a clear violation of international law and amounting to acts of maritime piracy.