Yemen Monitor/ Newsroom:
On Thursday, the leader of the Houthi group, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, escalated his rhetoric toward Saudi Arabia, hinting at expanding the confrontation if Riyadh moves toward what he described as “comprehensive escalation,” in a speech carrying conditional threat messages that linked any military escalation to reciprocal steps by the group.
Al-Houthi said that his group would deal with the situation according to the equation of “escalation for escalation, and siege for siege,” indicating that any Saudi move would be met with a similar response. He renewed threats to target airports and vital facilities inside the Kingdom if it engages, as he put it, in military operations against the group.
Al-Houthi also called on his fighters to raise their level of readiness and preparedness, warning against what he described as attempts to target the internal front, in an indication of the group’s efforts to boost mobilization in anticipation of any potential military developments.
During his speech, al-Houthi accused Saudi Arabia of working to serve the “US-Israeli project,” claiming that it is cooperating with the United States, Britain, and Israel to stir up strife in the region and derail any Arab or Islamic stance supporting the Palestinian cause.
He also renewed his accusation against Riyadh of leading the war in Yemen, stating that it bears responsibility for targeting civilians and infrastructure and imposing a siege on the country, while also accusing it of obstructing any Arab or Islamic movement to confront the war in Gaza.
Al-Houthi’s criticism extended to the Saudi media, which he accused of inciting against Palestinians and justifying Israeli operations, and he also accused the Kingdom of interfering in the Lebanese arena and working against Hezbollah.
This escalation comes after the Houthi group, earlier this week, accused Saudi Arabia of involvement in targeting Sana’a airport, which was followed by the group carrying out rocket attacks toward Abha airport in the south of the Kingdom.
In contrast, the internationally recognized Yemeni government, through its Ministry of Defense, announced that its forces targeted the runway of Sana’a airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, confirming that the operation was carried out by fighter jets belonging to the “Yemeni Armed Forces.”
