The statement Monday from the terrorist organization did not clarify exactly what a maritime embargo would entail.
The Iran-aligned Houthi terrorist group in Yemen said on Monday that it is declaring a maritime embargo on Saudi Arabia in response to an attack targeting the airport in the country’s capital of Sanaa.
In a statement released through the Yemen state-run SABA news agency, the Houthi armed forces wing said that it would impose the embargo, “effective immediately,” against Saudi Arabia.
The statement did not provide details on exactly what a maritime embargo would entail.
“We affirm the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade, and to respond to all escalation with all escalation, thus solidifying this equation,” the Houthis said.
They warned that “any foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy through all escalation will be met with a comprehensive and decisive escalation.”
The remarks come after a fiery exchange between the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen last week, during which Sanaa International Airport and Abha Airport in Saudi Arabia were struck, threatening a truce that has been in place since 2022.
The threat by the Houthis comes after the terrorist group targeted ships for months over the Israel–Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, which saw more than 100 vessels attacked.
The group primarily threatens ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a maritime chokepoint that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden in the Indian Ocean.
Other countries located near the strait are Djibouti, which has a U.S. military base, and Eritrea. Somalia is located to the south of the strait.
In response, the United States and the UK launched airstrikes in 2024 and 2025 against Houthi targets in Yemen.
U.S. President Donald Trump said he would initiate a ceasefire with the Houthis, brokered by Oman, while meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in May 2025.
