Houthi actions pose threat to international trade, says Arab Coalition

Arab Coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Malki said Saudi air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile fired at the Kingdom by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Monday. (AFP)

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia on Monday accused the Houthis of “repeatedly targeting densely populated cities” and accused Iran of delivering the weapons to the militias.
Col. Turki Al-Maliki, spokesperson for the Arab coalition, said the Houthi militias fired a ballistic missile on Monday at 7 a.m. which was headed to Khamis Mushayt but it was intercepted by Saudi Arabia. No causalities or wounded were reported.
He also said a ballistic missile was fired at the Saudi capital last Tuesday, which was also intercepted.
“Every week many Houthi terrorists try to sneak across the Saudi border while heavily armed and camouflaged. These individuals are monitored then targeted and destroyed,” Al-Maliki said.
During a press conference, Al-Maliki said that “the coalition will continue to contribute and give out aid through all the ports in Yemen; sea, land and air. Yemeni islands will also receive humanitarian aid through the work of the Red Crescent.”
He said that the Houthis were now recruiting women, “which is unknown in our culture.”
Saudi Arabia had warned that “Iranian-manufactured ballistic weapons” threatened the Kingdom’s security following an attack intercepted near Riyadh airport in November.
Mohammed Al-Jaber, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, said that an agreement between the Saudi development fund and the Yemeni government was signed to finance four cranes in Yemeni ports as part of the Yemen Comprehensive Humanitarian Operations (YCHO).
Since the start of the war, 96 ballistic missiles have been fired at Saudi Arabia. All have been intercepted with no casualities.
The Houthis have not ceased their terrorist activities and a suspicious booby trapped boat was captured to the north of Solayaba.
The Iran-backed militias pose a threat to international trade in the Bab Al-Mandab strait, the coalition spokesperson said.
Maeen Abdul Malik, the Yemeni minister of public works, said: “Iran only supports the Houthis and not Yemen. Iran only brings destruction on Yemen, and we have no relations with it.”
During the press conference, a photograph of a missile was shown. Al-Maliki said that the components of the missile were very similar to Iran’s missiles.
Abdul Malik said: “Aden is stable and safe. We will not be pessimistic.”