Houthis warn Saudi ships of retaliation while pledging safety for other Red Sea traffic

In a televised address, Mahdi al-Mashat declared that the Houthis will match any Saudi-imposed blockade with a reciprocal one, seeking to end the Saudi campaign and reopen Yemen's airports and seaports while recovering national assets and obtaining compensation. He emphasized that maritime trade passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait faces no threat from Yemen, singling out only Saudi vessels as potential targets.

Meanwhile, Houthi political bureau member Mohamed al-Bukhaiti told one outlet that the group has given assurances to the United States that American ships will not be attacked in the Red Sea. He noted that Washington contacted the Houthis after their rapid advance along Yemen's western coastline earlier this month. The statements underline a selective targeting policy, with Saudi ships being the sole exception in the waterway.