Coalition for the Support of Legitimacy in Yemen: Launching procedures to protect coalition ships through the Bab al-Mandab

The official spokesperson for the coalition forces, the “Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen,” Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, announced that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition is taking and implementing all firm and strict operational measures in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, to protect our naval vessels in the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

In a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) on Monday evening, Brigadier General Al-Maliki clarified that claims regarding the closure of Yemeni ports and airports are part of Houthi misinformation and escalation against the Yemeni government and neighboring countries. He described the Houthi narrative about a blockade as misleading, noting that more than 300 commercial vessels entered the ports of Hodeidah, Salif, and Ras Isa during the first half of 2026, carrying various food supplies, goods, fuel, and construction materials. He added that the Houthi militia is responsible for closing Sana’a International Airport and destroying aircraft belonging to Yemenia Airways, and that it has rejected all initiatives to resume flights to and from the airport.

Brigadier General Al-Maliki affirmed that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition has begun implementing measures to protect coalition vessels transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and that threats posed by the Houthi militia against passing ships will be met with firmness and strength, as such threats constitute a clear violation of international law and fall under acts of maritime piracy.