A senior Houthi official has vowed to continue attacks on Saudi economic and military-related targets until the blockade on Yemen is lifted, while warning of retaliation against US interests in the Middle East if Washington launches military operations against the group.
Mohammed Taher Anam, an adviser to Yemen's Houthi-run Supreme Political Council, made the remarks in a recent interview with the China Global Television Network, as regional tensions continued to escalate.
The comments came after airstrikes hit Houthi military sites in northern Yemen on Saturday, according to Yemen's state-run television, following the group's attacks on Saudi-linked vessels in the Red Sea.
Also on Saturday, the Houthi group said it had carried out coordinated missile and drone strikes on Saudi energy facilities in Jizan and Yanbu regions in retaliation for overnight coalition airstrikes on Houthi-held areas in the Red Sea province of Hodeidah.
"The Saudis want to target areas and sites inside our country. We warned them that any targeting of areas inside Yemen would lead to further escalation. Therefore, we are now entering a new phase of targeting the Saudi oil industry. The confrontation is continuing inside Saudi territory, outside Yemen, and we will continue with it. We have set a clear objective in this confrontation: lifting the siege on Yemen, both the closure of airports and the political blockade imposed on our country.
Therefore, we will continue targeting the Saudi oil industry, airports, and ports until this goal is achieved, regardless of how long it takes. There is no targeting of navigation in the Red Sea. Our targets are limited to Saudi vessels only. We have clearly announced that navigation in the Red Sea remains open, and continues for all ships and global trade," said Anam.
He said the group would continue its campaign until its demands regarding the blockade on Yemen are met, while reiterating that it does not intend to disrupt international shipping through the Red Sea.
"The only thing that would lead us to de-escalate the situation is ending the siege on our country. Saudi Arabia must lift the blockade on Yemeni airports and allow Sanaa Airport and other airports to operate freely to all countries around the world. It must also lift the political blockade on Yemen and withdraw its forces from some Yemeni areas. Then we can live in peace, and the region can live in peace.
If the United States launches any operations against our country, we will respond by targeting American interests, ships, and aircraft carriers. We have recent experience from two years ago when we were targeting Israel. The United States intervened to protect Israel, so we targeted them and struck American aircraft and ships in the Red Sea until they withdrew, leaving Israel alone, while we continued targeting Israel," said Anam.
