Abdulsalam: Maritime ban on Saudi regime step Yemen as forced to take in response to its refusal to address legitimate demands

Head of the national negotiating delegation Mohammed Abdulsalam on Monday affirmed that the Yemeni armed forces’ declaration of a maritime ban on the Saudi regime is a step Yemen was forced to take in response to the Saudi regime’s refusal to peacefully address Yemen’s legitimate and just demands.

Mohammed Abdulsalam tweeted on “X” platform, “Saudi Arabia has been given ample time to fulfill its obligations to address the repercussions of its brutal aggression against Yemen. The Yemeni people have endured immense suffering, hoping for a peaceful resolution that avoids military escalation. However, the Saudi regime has consistently chosen to ignore, procrastinate, and gamble on time to evade its responsibilities.”

He explained that for the four years since the 2022 ceasefire, the Saudi regime has treated its eight-year aggression as an internal Yemeni problem unrelated to itself. This is one of the biggest obstacles preventing a comprehensive solution.

Abdulsalam pointed out that the Saudi regime has tried hard to deny its role in the blockade imposed on Yemen. However, its recent attack on Sana’a International Airport and its military statement, which treated Yemen as a Saudi province and threatened to continue the blockade, were scandalous and condemned.

It became clear to everyone that the Saudi regime is responsible for the closure of Sana’a Airport for all these years and is the primary instigator of the naval blockade, which targets ships. The arrival of goods at the port of Hodeidah is fraught with complications, which significantly increases the cost of all imported materials, making them prohibitively expensive for the Yemeni citizen.

He emphasized that “the Saudi regime’s belief that it can prolong the blockade indefinitely is a misguided belief and a losing gamble. Our Yemeni people have spoken decisively in the unprecedented million-person demonstrations on Friday, declaring that the period granted to the Saudi regime has ended. Its folly and arrogance will bear the consequences of any escalation, and a blockade for a blockade is the natural, legal, and moral response to the Saudi regime’s intransigence.”

The head of the national negotiating delegation reiterated that the Yemeni military stance aims to pressure the Saudi regime to submit to justice, lift the blockade completely on Yemen’s airports and seaports, and allow Yemen full access to its sovereign resources. He also stressed the need to address the humanitarian crisis, pay salaries, and expedite the prisoner exchange without further delay.