Houthis declare maritime navigation ban on Saudi Arabia

Yemen's Houthi rebels declared a maritime navigation ban on Saudi Arabia in an official statement on July 20. The statement, issued in the name of the Yemeni armed group, said the measure took effect immediately and was a response to what it described as Saudi Arabia's "unjust and brutal blockade and aggression." The statement criticized Saudi Arabia for fully blockading Yemen's ports, airports and land borders over the past 12 years, saying the restrictions had caused severe suffering for the Yemeni people. It also characterized Saudi airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport as "a clear act of treacherous aggression."