KSA determined to keep Sanaa Airport shut: chief Yemeni negotiator
A recent strike on Sanaa International Airport serves as evidence that Riyadh is determined to keep the facility shut and will only allow its reopening under Saudi authorization, according to the head of the Sanaa delegation negotiating with Saudi Arabia, Mohammed Abdul Salam, who spoke on Saturday.
Abdul Salam stated that Saudi Arabia is holding fast to the closure of Sanaa airport while issuing statements in which it claims to defend “Yemeni sovereignty”, accusing Riyadh of practicing “lying, arrogance, malice, and aggression,” adding that it resembles “Israel” in “everything”.
He confirmed that Saudi aggression against the port and city of Hodeidah and Kamaran Island constitutes “a new escalation and an ongoing violation of Yemen’s sovereignty”, emphasizing that “any aggression against Yemen will not pass without a response and the Saudi regime must bear the consequences of its criminal acts”.
Hiding behind UN statements does not obscure reality of siege on Yemen
Abdul Salam stressed that “hiding behind unjust UN statements, imposed as a result of Saudi oil relations, cannot obscure the reality of the unjust siege imposed on Yemen”.
He added that Saudi Arabia stands behind this siege, having “launched a war on Yemen that lasted eight years and failed in it,” and is now seeking to compensate for its loss by continuing the blockade.
In a related matter, Abdul Salam warned that Saudi Arabia, as a result of its miscalculation, has “set itself up as a clear enemy of Yemen,” asserting that its insistence on “stubbornness and refusal to accept the truth will have serious consequences for its security and economy.”
He explained that the maritime ban step represents “the first steps of the battle of blockade by blockade,” stressing that “the Yemeni people will not leave their right without seizing it in any form.”
Coalition forces imposed a comprehensive ban on Yemeni airspace on August 9, 2016, leading to the complete closure of Sanaa airport to commercial flights. Sanaa airport serves as Yemen’s main artery, serving approximately 80% of the population of the Yemeni Republic, or about 20 million people.
Yemen vows tit-for-tat response to Saudi aggression
Sana’a will deliver a noteworthy response to the Saudi aggression against the country, the head of the Yemeni News Agency SABA said on Saturday. “The Yemeni response to Saudi escalation will be significant,” Nasser al-Amer told Al Mayadeen. He added that “Forcing the Yemeni people to surrender is impossible, and the Saudi side must lift the blockade.”
Al-Amer’s warning came as the Saudi Civil Defense service issued an early warning air raid notice in Jazan. Overnight on Saturday, Yemen launched retaliatory strikes targeting the Saudi Aramco facility in Jazan’s industrial area. Reports also noted explosions being heard near the Khamis Mushait air base.
Ansar Allah’s Political Bureau condemned the Saudi attack on civilian facilities in the Hodeidah province and Kamaran Island that occurred around midnight. The bureau warned that Riyadh’s direct attacks on Yemen represent a dangerous escalation. It added that Saudi Arabia is attempting to make amends for its military and political failures by targeting the foundations of life for the Yemeni people.
Blockade for blockade, port for port
The bureau noted that the targeting of civilian sites in Yemen is a “blatant violation” that places the international community in the face of a moral and legal responsibility. The latest attacks “will not pass without a response,” Ansar Allah’s Political Bureau said in a statement. It noted that the deterrence equation established by the Yemeni people, leadership, and armed forces became “clear and firmly established.”
The bureau further stated that “blockade for blockade, ports for ports, and escalation for escalation” would remain the response. It warned Riyadh that continued aggression would only bring further losses to those carrying it out. The statement did not specify what form any potential response might take.
Saudi authorities have not issued an official comment on the reported strikes or the statements from Yemeni officials. The reported strikes on the Aramco facility and the air base have not been independently verified. Further developments are expected in the coming hours as regional tensions continue to escalate.
