Tuesday, July 21, 2026

SPA – Riyadh:

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

Major General Al-Maliki explained that claims about the closure of Yemeni ports and airports come in the context of Houthi fallacies and 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 the year (2026). These ships carried various food items, goods, fuel, and construction materials. He added that the Houthi militia is responsible for closing Sanaa International Airport and destroying Yemenia airline aircraft, and that they rejected all initiatives to resume flights to and from the airport.

Major General Al-Maliki affirmed that the Coalition Joint Forces Command has begun implementing measures to protect coalition ships through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, and that Houthi threats to passing ships will be responded to with all firmness and force, considering these threats a clear violation of international law and amounting to acts of maritime piracy.