According to CENTCOM, one of the tankers is Saudi-owned and carries approximately two million barrels of oil. “The Houthis' terrorist acts continue to undermine regional and global trade stability and pose a threat to human lives,” stated CENTCOM.
It is worth noting that about a month ago, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia, under US direction, of pressuring the Yemeni government based in Aden to take economic measures against the Houthis. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi threatened to target sites in the Kingdom, and images of strategic sites in Saudi Arabia under threat from the Houthis were published on channels affiliated with Iran’s proxies in Yemen. In a speech yesterday, the Houthi leader criticized Saudi Arabia, saying: “The Americans are trying to involve you. If you want, try.” He clarified that if the Saudis want their country to remain stable, they must stop actions against the Houthis and warned that if the Americans succeed in involving the Saudis, the Houthis have the right to respond: “The Americans sent us a message that they will involve the Saudis. There have been American visits to Saudi Arabia for this purpose.”
According to the Houthi leader, recently Saudi Arabia, at the behest of the US, undertook several actions that the Houthis are unwilling to accept: “The pressure to move the banks from Sana'a is a crazy and foolish step,” he said, adding: “The Americans know this will negatively impact the Yemeni people and prices in the country. We advised through all intermediaries for Saudi Arabia to retract this step.
After the bank relocation step, the Saudis attempted to disrupt the Sana'a airport and stop flights.”