UAE condemns Houthis’ attack on Saudi Arabia

Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday ‘strongly’ condemned the Houthi attack on the Najran region of Saudi Arabia.

In a statement, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs affirmed that these attacks constitute a blatant violation of the sovereignty of Saudi Arabia and a threat to its security and stability.

The ministry also reiterated the UAE’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures taken to preserve its security and stability, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree, on Friday, said on X that a statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces is expected to announce a “distinctive military operation.”

On Wednesday, the Houthi group said it had targeted a Saudi oil tanker with a ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden, several hours after claiming a separate missile attack on another Saudi tanker in the northern Red Sea.

Sarea said the tanker, identified as “Daisy,” was hit by a ballistic missile and “forced to turn back.”

According to him, the attack was part of the group’s declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia under a “blockade-for-blockade” policy.

Another tanker, “Wafa”, was also targeted with ballistic missiles off the coast of Yanbu, a major Saudi Red Sea port city, noted Saree on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the group claimed responsibility for a drone attack on Najran airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia, saying it was in response to alleged Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.

The developments come amid rapidly escalating tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. On July 20, the group announced what it described as a maritime ban on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, citing an alleged Saudi blockade on Houthi-held areas.

Since then, the Houthis have claimed multiple missile and drone attacks on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea and energy sites, while the Saudi-led coalition has resumed airstrikes on what it described as key Houthi military targets in Yemen.

The renewed hostilities have heightened concerns over security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising the risk of a broader military confrontation after years of relative calm in Yemen.

IANS