Yemen says ready for escalation after Houthis claim Saudi oil attacks

Yemen's internationally recognised government said on Monday, July 27, that it was prepared for escalation with Houthi rebels after the group claimed fresh drone strikes on Saudi oil infrastructure and announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia.

"At the end of the day, we are prepared for any escalations," Yemen's foreign minister designate Afrah al-Zouba told reporters in Riyadh.

The Houthis said the new drone strikes were in response to incursions by Saudi drones. Last week, the group announced a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and has claimed attacks on Saudi tankers and oil infrastructure in the kingdom.

Al-Zouba said Yemen's government was increasingly worried that the Tehran-backed rebels were trying to copy Iranian actions in the Strait of Hormuz to gain control over the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage into the Red Sea off Yemen.

The Bab al-Mandeb route has been important for moving Saudi crude to international markets after maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was largely choked by fighting.

Al-Zouba said the situation in Yemen was tense, with daily skirmishes between Houthi forces and government troops in several areas across the country.

A Saudi-led coalition fought the Houthis in support of Yemen's internationally recognised government after Yemen's war began in 2015. AFP reported that the latest flare-up between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis marks the first exchange of blows between the sides in years and threatens a 2022 truce that has held despite expiring.