Houthis warn shipping firms: Vessels calling at Saudi ports may be targeted

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels have warned shipping companies to stop using Saudi ports, Reuters reported Tuesday (local time).

In emails sent to multiple global shipping firms on Monday, the Houthis said they were banning "the loading and unloading of cargo at all Saudi ports." They went on to say "such activities will expose violating vessels to the risk of sanctions" and warned that ships "may be targeted at any location within the operational range of Yemen's armed forces."

The emails were sent under the name of the Houthi-run Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center (HOCC), headquartered in Sanaa, and urged recipients to "exercise considerable caution and due diligence in all transactions."

The Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia on Monday. Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sari said the group was "declaring a maritime blockade against the criminal Saudi enemy in accordance with the principle of an eye for an eye, effective immediately."

Sari said the move was a response to Saudi Arabia's blockade of Houthi-controlled ports and airports, as well as last week's strike on Sanaa airport, vowing to meet "a blockade with a blockade."