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 clarified that the allegations regarding the closure of Yemeni ports and airports come in the context of misconceptions 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 vessels entered the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Isa during the first half of 2026, carrying various food supplies, goods, fuel, and construction materials.

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

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