Saudi Arabia: Houthis Will Face Consequences for Their Crimes

- Trump: May ask Erdogan to intervene in Yemen crisis and support Saudi interests

- “Legitimacy” reinforces fronts in Lahj... to prevent rebels’ flanking maneuver toward Bab al-Mandab

The Saudi Cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh, affirmed that the “Houthi terrorist militia will face the consequences of its crimes and repeated heinous attacks on the Kingdom’s airports, on Makkah al-Mukarramah and Madinah al-Munawwarah, on pilgrims to the Two Holy Mosques, and on civilian and economic assets and facilities,” expressing hope for the swift recovery of the injured and victims.

In a statement reported by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the Cabinet commended “the military operations carried out by the coalition supporting legitimacy in Yemen to neutralize the threat posed by the Houthi terrorist militia to the brotherly Yemeni people, to international peace and security, and to global trade and international supply chains.”

The Cabinet also appreciated “the resolute role of the armed forces in defending the homeland, protecting its gains and resources, and deterring any aggression or threat to its sovereignty and the safety of its people and residents on its soil, with full competence and capability; ensuring that Saudi Arabia remains always a place of security and stability, advancing with will and determination toward new horizons of progress and prosperity, alongside persistent efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region and the world.”

In international moves supporting Saudi security and sovereignty, Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who conveyed Ankara’s condemnation and denunciation of the Houthi attacks on the Kingdom.

At the White House, US President Donald Trump announced that he had spoken with Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Trump told reporters, “I spoke with Saudi Arabia regarding Yemen,” adding that the Houthis are “behaving very badly.”

He indicated that he “may ask Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to intervene in the Yemen crisis and support Saudi interests,” affirming that he “would fulfill his request.”

In this context, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed, during a phone call received from UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the recent developments and their regional repercussions, as well as the efforts of both countries in response.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed expressed the UAE’s condemnation of the blatant attacks on King Khalid International Airport, affirming his country’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures aimed at preserving its security and stability.

On the ground, the spokesperson for the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, stated in a statement on Tuesday evening that it has been established that the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition has confirmed the terrorist Houthi militia’s use of civilian objects and vital resources to fuel its war effort. These include the Al-Sabahah Central Power Station in Sana’a, underground fuel reserve warehouses, fuel tanks, and docks designated for the transfer and unloading of fuel in Al-Hudaydah, Sana’a, and Dhamar. The terrorist Houthi militia uses these sites to directly support its terrorist military operations and to deprive the Yemeni people of benefiting from resources that should legitimately be dedicated to meeting their needs. The militia has fully utilized these locations to support its war effort by fueling its arsenal of missiles and drones that threaten the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and endanger the safety of airports, ports, and commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This has contributed significantly to the execution of hostile attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as the planning of imminent attacks against civilian objects in the Kingdom and against commercial vessels in international waterways. This operation focused on neutralizing the capabilities of the Houthi militia used to threaten the Kingdom, Yemen, and the southern Red Sea and waterways. The Coalition forces reaffirmed their strict commitment to international humanitarian law and took all possible precautions to avoid causing incidental casualties or damage to civilians during the planning and execution of this operation.

The Coalition also announced the interception and destruction of three drones north of Riyadh, amid ongoing terrorist Houthi attacks on the Kingdom.

Amid escalating clashes in Al-Lahij Governorate, legitimacy forces and popular resistance succeeded in breaking the Houthi militia’s attempts to advance on the city from all directions, coinciding with aerial strikes targeting the group’s positions and reinforcements.

As land and air strikes extended to Ma’rib and Al-Jawf to target Houthi capabilities, southern “Giants Brigades” forces deployed reinforcements to the Al-Mudharibah front in Al-Lahij Governorate to counter Houthi movements targeting the areas of the Al-Subayha tribes. This was done to prevent an attempt to flank through this front toward the western coast and to lift the siege on the group’s pockets around the Bab al-Mandab area.

Meanwhile, Yemeni field sources reported that airstrikes hit the Ras Isa area in Al-Hudaydah, while legitimacy forces announced the execution of 2,200 precise targeting operations on the eastern and southern fronts over the past 24 hours.