'Eye for an eye': Houthis declare naval blockade against Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis have declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia with immediate effect, Reuters reported on Monday. The move will escalate tensions in the Red Sea at a time when the conflict between the United States and Iran has already intensified.

In a televised address, the group's military spokesperson announced "a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of 'an eye for an eye' effective immediately upon the issuance of this statement."

The Houthis said the blockade was in response to Saudi Arabia's "unjust and oppressive siege on our dear people for nearly 12 years, plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade on our ports and airports by land, sea, and air."

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Red Sea Shipping Under Fresh Threat

Reuters had earlier reported that Iran had asked the Houthis to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the US strikes Iranian power infrastructure. The idea had been discussed within the Islamic Republic's leadership, and the message had been conveyed to Iran's Houthi allies.

The Houthis had earlier said they had completed preparations to attack commercial shipping by deploying missiles and drones near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategic gateway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.

The group said its weapons had been positioned in Yemen's highlands overlooking Hodeidah and the Gulf of Aden and were awaiting orders to begin operations.

Four-Year Truce Appears To End

The Houthis last week fired missiles at Saudi Arabia after accusing the kingdom of bombing an airport under their control, effectively ending four years of relative calm.

Reuters noted that these were the first Houthi attacks claimed against Saudi Arabia since an informal truce came into effect in March 2022 following earlier strikes on Saudi energy infrastructure.

US-Iran Conflict Deepens

The latest Houthi announcement comes as fighting between the US and Iran has intensified once again.

The US military has been encouraging commercial vessels to use a route near Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran, however, has targeted ships using that route, insisting it must retain control over the strategic waterway through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade passed during peacetime.

Early Monday, the US launched another round of airstrikes against Iran after announcing the death of another American service member. Iran, in turn, fired missiles toward Jordan, raising fears that the conflict could spread further across the Middle East.

The US Central Command said the latest strikes targeted Iran's Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for the killing of American troops in Jordan. Another US service member was killed in Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone.