Yemen Warns Saudi Arabia Against Further Escalation

By Staff, Agencies

Yemen's Foreign Ministry in Sanaa has warned Saudi Arabia that its "negative interventions" in Yemeni affairs are "a thing of the past," cautioning that failure to recognize this reality could undermine the Saudi ruling system.

In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that had Saudi Arabia acted credibly during the de-escalation period, it would not now be facing attacks targeting its ships and oil facilities.

The ministry urged Saudi leaders not to delay peace-related commitments, warning that "the cost of peace today is much lower than its cost in the future" and that continued delays would increase the cost for the "offending party."

The Sanaa government said its armed forces remain fully prepared to confront aggression and continue targeting Saudi military mobilizations.

It described its military operations and navigation restrictions on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea as part of the "blockade for blockade and escalation for escalation" equation, presenting them as a response to continued Saudi violations and the blockade of Yemen.

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansar Allah's Political Bureau, separately warned that Yemeni forces would target Saudi oil fields, power infrastructure, desalination plants, and airports if Riyadh launched a full-scale attack on Yemen.

Al-Bukhaiti said Ansar Allah had accumulated 12 years of experience confronting "Israel," Saudi Arabia, the United States, and Britain.

He said Yemeni forces were currently limiting their attacks to weapons depots, Saudi military concentrations, and other military infrastructure, with targets being selected carefully.

He also accused Saudi Arabia of concealing its losses, particularly its casualties, and called on Yemenis serving at Saudi military camps to withdraw, saying rewards would be offered to those who leave.

Al-Bukhaiti said Ansar Allah was prepared to fight simultaneously on three fronts: against "Israel," the United States, and Britain; against Saudi Arabia; and on the domestic front.

However, he stressed that the movement would prefer fighting "Israel" and the United States "a thousand times over" a conflict with fellow Yemenis.

He further accused Saudi Arabia of pressuring Tariq Afash's forces to join the fighting against Sanaa, while claiming that Salafi and Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated groups were fighting alongside Saudi Arabia and the United States.