Istanbul/Anadolu

Lebanon, Syria, and Somalia condemned the Houthi group's threats against Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, affirming their solidarity with Riyadh and support for maritime navigation security.

On Monday, the military spokesman for the Houthi group, Yahya Saree, announced in a video statement a 'maritime navigation ban' on Saudi Arabia, in response to what the group said was a blockade imposed by Riyadh, adding that the decision took effect from the moment of its announcement.

Saudi Arabia responded to the Houthi statement, affirming that it would take 'all necessary measures to protect its ships,' in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Saudi-led coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen also vowed to respond 'with all decisiveness and force' to Houthi threats against ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, announcing the start of implementing measures to protect its ships.

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it condemns 'in the strongest terms' the Houthi group's threats, including imposing a navigation ban through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, considering them a violation of international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

The ministry stressed the need to respect freedom of navigation and implement international resolutions, declaring its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia.

For its part, the Syrian Foreign Ministry condemned in a statement the statements of the Houthi group's military spokesman, considering them to contain 'false allegations and accusations' against Saudi Arabia, affirming Damascus's solidarity with the Kingdom, and praising its role in supporting regional security and stability and political solutions to conflicts.

In the same context, the Somali Foreign Ministry condemned in a statement the Houthi threats against Saudi Arabia, as well as actions that undermine maritime security, freedom of navigation, and international trade, reaffirming its commitment to the sovereignty, security, territorial integrity of states, and respect for international law.

Despite intermittent confrontations, Yemen has witnessed a truce since April 2022 in the war that has been ongoing for more than 11 years between the government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Houthi group, which has controlled provinces and cities, including the capital Sanaa, since September 21, 2014.

On July 13, the Yemeni Defense Ministry announced that its forces targeted the runway of Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, while the Houthi group accused Saudi Arabia of carrying out the attack, considering it the end of a de-escalation phase.

In recent days, confrontations have renewed between government forces and the Houthis in several provinces, including Al-Jawf, Al-Dhale'e, and Taiz, amid mutual threats between the two sides, in a country facing one of the worst humanitarian and economic crises in the world.