The Saudi-led coalition has warned that any attempts by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia to target the Kingdom will be met with "unprecedented determination and force." The statement, issued early Saturday by coalition spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki Al-Maliki, was posted on social media and carried by the Saudi Press Agency.
Coalition accuses Houthis of diverting attention
Al-Maliki said the Houthi statements against the Kingdom were an attempt to divert attention from their grave violations against the Yemeni people. He categorized the militia's latest threats as an effort to undermine regional and international security.
"The coalition will respond with unprecedented determination and force to any and all attempts to target the Kingdom, its citizens and residents and national assets, or any attempt to violate the sovereignty of the brotherly Republic of Yemen," Al-Maliki said.
Houthi threats and response
The Houthi military spokesperson threatened on Friday to target "Saudi airports and vital interests on land and sea." Al-Maliki accused the Houthis of causing suffering to Yemenis through their actions, saying they try to export the economic disasters and Yemeni suffering they have caused to their regional periphery and neighboring countries.
Background of the conflict
Known formally as the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen, the Saudi-led coalition has been fighting since 2014 to restore the internationally recognized government after Houthis seized the capital Sanaa. The militia, which has received weapons from Tehran, has controlled the capital and many other parts of the country since then.
Al-Maliki said the Kingdom, along with the coalition and international partners, has undertaken initiatives to alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people caused by the Houthi coup. He noted that the legitimate Yemeni government approved a road map to resolve the crisis, but the Houthis rejected it, also rejecting efforts for lasting peace and attacking sea lines of communication and international trade in the Southern Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
