Saudi Army: Protection of Straits and Passages is a Shared International Responsibility
Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Saudi Army warns of the impact of maritime passage disruptions on the global economy, while the coalition announces military operations against the Houthis.
Translated by Qiyas from الجريدة — Original source
Amidst the tense regional situation stemming from the Iranian-US conflict and the Houthi militia’s terrorist attempts to drag Yemen and Saudi Arabia into the war, Saudi General Staff Vice Chief of Staff, Major General Fahd Al-Ghufaili, warned today that threats targeting vital sea lanes have become an international challenge affecting everyone’s interests, given the direct impact of any disruption in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden on the global economy, energy markets, international trade, food security, and supply chains.
Al-Ghufaili, in his speech during the maritime security session at a critical turning point at the Manama Dialogue forum, stated that Houthi attacks on commercial ships and oil tankers since 2023 have demonstrated significant danger to freedom of navigation, coinciding with disruptions to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. This necessitates a collective and effective response to protect vital sea straits and passages, and to enhance regional and international security and stability.
On the ground, Turkish Al-Maleki, spokesperson for the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen, announced today that the Houthi terrorist militia continues its deliberate and systematic attacks on civilians and civilian targets in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. He confirmed the continued exploitation of vital resources to support their war effort and enhance their military capabilities, particularly ballistic missiles and drones, underscoring their terrorist and brutal methodology by leveraging vital resources to serve their hostile activities.
Al-Maleki clarified that following the continuation of these attacks, which pose a direct threat to civilian lives and the safety of civilian infrastructure, the coalition command carried out a distinctive military operation today to neutralize the vital resources used by the Houthi terrorist militia to carry out their repeated and brutal attacks, as well as to threaten the security of Saudi Arabia and Yemen and maritime navigation routes in the southern Red Sea.
While Iranian media reported on a Houthi strike on the industrial area in Dammam, Al-Maleki confirmed the coalition’s continued adoption and implementation of necessary operational measures to deter the Houthi terrorist militia’s behavior and halt the use of vital resources to support their war effort. He added that the militia must cease all hostile and brutal operations against civilians and civilian targets; otherwise, the Houthi terrorist militia must bear the consequences of its hostile behavior.
