Yemen’s Sanaa-based armed forces say they have established new military deterrence equations against Saudi Arabia, including maritime restrictions and retaliatory strikes, while warning Riyadh against further escalation.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Sarie, spokesman for the Yemeni armed forces, announced the figures Wednesday during an event organized by the Armed Forces’ Moral Guidance Department, saying Yemen had demonstrated its ability to respond to what he described as Saudi aggression and defend the country’s sovereignty.

Sarie said the Yemeni forces had established three deterrence equations based on their military capabilities.

The first, he said, was “blockade for blockade,” under which Yemeni forces sought to prevent Saudi vessels from passing through key maritime routes. The second involved targeting Saudi military positions and buildups, while the third focused on defending Yemen’s sovereignty against hostile incursions.

Yemen Says Saudi Oil Shipments Targeted

Sarie said that since the announcement of a maritime navigation ban targeting Saudi Arabia on July 20, Yemeni forces had carried out attacks against eight Saudi oil tankers — five in the Red Sea and three in the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea.

He said another 48 Saudi oil tankers had been prevented from continuing their journeys and forced to turn back, including 34 in the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean and 14 in the Red Sea.

According to Sarie, the measures were part of Yemen’s response to Saudi military operations and what Sanaa describes as the continuing blockade imposed on the country.

Strikes on Saudi Military Positions

Sarie said Yemeni forces had also conducted nine operations targeting sites in Yanbu, Najran, Jizan and Abha, as well as oil-related infrastructure in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.

He said the operations were carried out in response to attacks on Sanaa Airport and Hodeida Port and were intended to reinforce Yemen’s sovereignty and deterrence capabilities.

The spokesman also reported 14 operations targeting Saudi military positions and concentrations in Al-Ruwak, Al-Abr, Al-Wadiah, Marib and Mocha.

He said Saudi vessels and boats transporting military equipment and personnel had also been targeted.

According to Sarie, the operations caused casualties among Saudi-aligned forces, including commanders and officers, and resulted in the destruction or burning of weapons depots and military equipment.

Sanaa Reports Destruction of Military Vessels

Sarie further claimed that two military landing ships carrying Saudi weapons and personnel were sunk and burned off the coast of Mocha.

He said more than 10 military boats affiliated with Saudi forces had also been destroyed. Sarie accused those vessels of conducting what he described as piracy and intercepting and looting ships in the Red Sea under Saudi direction.

The claims could not be independently verified.

Warning Against Further Escalation

Sarie issued a direct warning to Saudi Arabia's leadership, saying any further escalation would trigger what he described as a comprehensive response from Yemen.

“Any escalation will be met with a comprehensive escalation,” he warned.

He said Riyadh should instead pursue an end to the conflict and lift restrictions imposed on Yemen.

According to Sarie, Saudi Arabia must lift the blockade, implement agreements aimed at ending the war, pay salaries, withdraw its forces and leave Yemen’s natural resources to the Yemeni people.

His remarks framed Yemen’s military operations as a response to what Sanaa considers violations of its sovereignty and an attempt to pressure Saudi Arabia into addressing Yemen’s political and economic demands.

Appeal to Saudi-Backed Yemeni Forces

Sarie also called on Yemenis serving with Saudi-backed forces to leave their positions and return home.

“They are Yemenis, and we do not want to target them and have them become victims,” he said.

The appeal came alongside his warning to Saudi Arabia, suggesting that Sanaa distinguishes between Yemeni forces aligned with Riyadh and the broader Saudi leadership it holds responsible for military actions against Yemen.

Sarie’s remarks underscore Sanaa’s position that Yemen possesses sufficient military capabilities to impose costs on Saudi Arabia while continuing to portray its operations as part of a broader effort to defend Yemen’s sovereignty and secure an end to the conflict. (ILKHA)