Originally published by al-Masirah website, Yemen's Armed Forces have moved from announcing to actively enforcing a maritime blockade against Saudi-linked shipping, targeting two Saudi vessels and compelling around ten others to alter their routes within 48 hours, in the implementation of the siege for siege equation.

According to political and military officials in Sana'a, the measure is intended to increase the economic cost on Saudi Arabia and pressure Riyadh to lift its 12-year blockade, while maintaining readiness to intensify operations until Yemen's demands are met.

The enforcement of the maritime restrictions has reportedly led to Saudi ports and vessels being classified as high-risk destinations by maritime security organizations, driving up marine insurance premiums and increasing concerns over Saudi oil exports through Yanbu Port as well as major development projects, including NEOM. Shipping companies are also expected to face more expensive and complex routing decisions.

Officials Link Any Settlement to Lifting the Blockade

Head of Yemen's National Delegation Mohammed Abdulsalam said Saudi Arabia initiated its military campaign by targeting Sana'a International Airport on March 26, 2015, destroying aircraft and much of the airport's infrastructure during the opening hours of the war.

He added that subsequent Israeli enemy attacks on the airport followed the same pattern of targeting civilian infrastructure while attempting to portray such strikes as military achievements. Abdulsalam argued that any party seeking to restrict flights to a single destination while denying the existence of a blockade contradicts the reality on the ground.

National Delegation member Abdulmalik Al-Ajri said Saudi Arabia could avoid the consequences of the current maritime measures by meeting two principal conditions: formally announcing its withdrawal from Yemen and committing to compensation for reconstruction.

He maintained that Saudi Arabia remains responsible before Yemen as long as it continues to control decision-making and natural resources in occupied provinces while maintaining restrictions on Yemen.

Sana'a Airport Operating at Less Than Five Percent of Pre-War Capacity

The report says Sana'a International Airport has remained one of the primary symbols of the blockade throughout the conflict.

According to statistics cited from the airport's Air Transport and Statistics Administration, 2023 recorded the highest level of activity since the beginning of the war, with 1,782 round-trip flights carrying 212,754 passengers.

By comparison, the airport handled 50,461 flights and approximately 2.67 million passengers in 2010 before the war.

The report concludes that airport operations remain more than 95 percent below normal capacity, despite partial reopening in recent years.

It further stated that over 120,000 children and women died after being unable to travel abroad for medical treatment because of flight restrictions, while many others lost educational and commercial opportunities.

Sana'a International Airport Director Khaled Al-Shaif said direct damage to the airport has reached approximately $160 million, while indirect losses exceed $3.5 billion.

He attributed the losses to destruction of the main runway and airport facilities, the prolonged air blockade, suspension of travel for more than 300 patients per day, disruption of medicine imports, and the impact on thousands of students.

Yemen Says Timing of Maritime Measures Is Deliberate

Brig. Gen. Abdullah bin Amer, deputy director of Yemen's Moral Guidance Department, said Saudi Arabia continues to portray the Yemen file as an internal Saudi matter while attempting to present itself internationally as a mediator despite being a principal party to the conflict since 2015.

He accused Riyadh of conducting an international media campaign portraying Yemen's actions as a threat to global navigation, while emphasizing that the maritime restrictions are directed exclusively at Saudi shipping in response to the blockade imposed on Yemen.

Bin Amer also argued that Saudi Arabia is seeking broader regional and international political support while attempting to internationalize the crisis.

He further stressed that Washington, following the failure of military pressure against Iran, is encouraging regional partners to assume a greater role through a series of strategic initiatives involving several Middle Eastern states.

Rejecting suggestions that Yemen's decisions are directed from abroad, Bin Amer said the maritime restrictions represent an independent sovereign decision taken after years of conflict and blockade.

He noted that the military measures followed a gradual process of warnings, political messages, and nationwide demonstrations before moving to operational enforcement.

Economic Pressure Targets Saudi Strategic Interests

Brig. Gen. Zakaria Al-Sharabi, director of the Information Center at the Moral Guidance Department, said Yemen's objective is to force Saudi Arabia to reassess the economic costs of maintaining the blockade.

He noted that Saudi Arabia's economy depends heavily on Red Sea trade routes, annual imports and exports approaching one trillion dollars, and large-scale development initiatives such as NEOM.

According to Al-Sharabi, Yemen's conditions for ending the maritime restrictions include lifting the blockade, full Saudi withdrawal from Yemen, and payment of reconstruction compensation.

On the energy front, he said Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the East-West Pipeline to transport oil to Yanbu Port after disruptions affecting exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

With Yemeni maritime restrictions now in force, he argued that Yanbu Port and the Bab al-Mandab Strait have become strategic bottlenecks for Saudi shipping.

Alternative shipping routes around the Cape of Good Hope could extend voyages by two to three weeks while adding roughly $1 million to transportation costs per trip.

Marine insurance premiums for Saudi-linked vessels have risen from around 0.3 percent to approximately 0.75 percent of vessel value, while maritime security organizations, including Ambrey and the EU's Aspides mission, have classified Saudi-associated shipping as high risk.

If restrictions continue, Saudi Arabia could eventually face storage constraints that force reductions in oil production, resulting in export revenue losses estimated at up to $500 million per day.

Al-Sharabi said Yemen remains committed to continuing the campaign and could eventually expand restrictions to cover all vessels bound for Saudi ports regardless of nationality or flag, similar to measures previously adopted against companies linked to Israeli shipping.