Yemen’s Armed Forces announced that they targeted the Saudi oil tanker NCC GHAZAL with ballistic missiles after the vessel of violated a maritime blockade imposed on Saudi Arabia.
Military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said on Tuesday that the vessel was struck with several ballistic missiles after it ignoring repeated warnings, forcing it to retreat and turn back.
He said the operation was part of Yemen’s continued enforcement of a “siege for siege” and “escalation for escalation” policy. Saree added that the Armed Forces would continue implementing the maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia.
The latest announcement comes after a sharp escalation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi forces struck Sana’a International Airport on July 13, violating a four-year ceasefire and prompting Yemen’s armed forces to resume retaliatory operations.
In the days that followed, Yemeni forces said they targeted strategic sites inside Saudi Arabia, including Abha International Airport, in response to continued Saudi military aggression.
Last Monday, Ansarullah announced the start of a “siege for siege” policy and declared a naval blockade on Saudi maritime traffic passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
The movement said the measure was intended to match the restrictions and military pressure imposed on Yemen, stressing that military operations would continue until attacks and siege on the country came to an end.
On Saturday, Saree also announced that Yemeni forces had targeted facilities belonging to Saudi state oil company Aramco in the cities of Jizan and Yanbu.
The latest exchange has become the most significant confrontation between Yemen and Saudi Arabia in years, effectively ending what remained of the 2022 UN-brokered truce.
Yemen has emphasized that navigation through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait remains restricted only for Saudi vessels.
Meanwhile, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of Ansarullah’s political bureau, said Yemen would not halt military operations against Saudi Arabia until Riyadh completely lifted its long-standing siege on the country.
Al-Bukhaiti rejected Saudi attempts to blame internal Yemeni groups for recent airspace violations and the bombing of Sana’a International Airport.
He said recent developments had seen Yemeni forces strike key Saudi oil facilities and shoot down hostile drones that violated Yemen’s airspace.
According to al-Bukhaiti, Riyadh has sought to portray the presence of a hostile drone over Yemeni territory as an internal Yemeni matter.
“Any violation of Yemen’s sovereignty will not exempt Saudi Arabia from punishment,” Bukhaiti said. “Our weapons will never be pointed at internal opponents; they are reserved exclusively for the Saudi enemy.”
