Yemen's Houthi group claimed Sunday it had shot down a Saudi-operated reconnaissance drone over the northern province of Al-Jawf, and targeted three Saudi oil tankers over the past 48 hours.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said on social media platform X that the group's forces downed the drone with "appropriate weaponry" while it was conducting what he called "hostile operations" in Al-Jawf's airspace. He did not elaborate on the operation.
The Houthi group said on July 20 that it had imposed a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, describing the move as a response to Saudi Arabia's nearly 12‑year‑long land, sea, and air blockade of Yemen, as well as recent Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport.
The Saudi‑led coalition said in a statement on the same day that its command had begun taking measures to protect the safe passage of member states' vessels through the Bab al‑Mandeb Strait, and vowed to respond "swiftly and decisively" to any threat posed by the Houthis.
Taher Anam, an advisor to Yemen's Houthi Supreme Political Council, said that the group's goal is to force Saudi Arabia to lift its blockade on Yemen. He also warned that if the United States launches military action against Yemen, the Houthis will strike U.S. targets in response.
"Our message to the Saudi regime is to step back and stop the aggression against Yemen, so that we can live in peace and ensure that the waterways in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Red Sea do not face further problems or wars caused by Saudi strikes on our ports and our targeting Saudi ships and ports. If the United States approaches and its ships and aircrafts come near the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, or the Arabian Sea, and they attack our country, we are prepared to strike them without hesitation," he said.
The Houthi group had targeted three Saudi oil tankers over the past 48 hours, said a source within the group on Sunday, cited by Lebanon-based broadcaster Al Mayadeen.
The source said the attacks were part of the efforts to enforce the group's maritime ban on Saudi shipping.
The source claimed that no Saudi tankers have passed through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the southern gateway to the Red Sea, since the blockade was imposed last Monday, alleging that "16 Saudi ships have been turned back and denied passage."
The claims could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities or the Saudi-led coalition.
Yemen's Houthis claim downing Saudi drone, attacking oil tankers
