Barran Press
Yemeni Defense Minister, Mohsen Mohammed Al-Da'ari, dismissed recent threats made by Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi against Saudi Arabia as "empty bubbles, a transparent and desperate attempt at extortion."
In an interview with the Saudi-owned Al-Hadath channel on Friday, July 12, 2024, Al-Da'ari characterized the threats as a "pretext for reneging on agreements and peace efforts."
He asserted that the Yemeni armed forces, "in all their formations, are a strong, trained, and professional force waiting for the political leadership's decision to deal with the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, and end their danger and terrorism against Yemen, the region, and the world." He emphasized that the Yemeni armed forces are highly prepared to deter any hostile Houthi adventure.
"The Houthi group maneuvers with Iranian missiles and drones, but on the ground, they are much weaker than they portray themselves to be. They have been broken and defeated on multiple fronts," the Yemeni Defense Minister stated.
He acknowledged the Yemeni army's commitment to the fragile truce, attributing it to "a sense of responsibility and a desire to give our brothers a chance to achieve comprehensive peace in Yemen."
Regarding Yemen's relationship with the Arab coalition, the Yemeni minister described it as a "deep strategic partnership," praising the coalition's "honorable stance" with Yemen in all circumstances. He stated that "the Yemeni armed forces and the coalition forces are in the same trench."
He also touched upon the international community's recognition of their mistake in pressuring for a halt to the Hodeidah battle, after realizing the danger posed by Houthi terrorism and their targeting of international shipping lanes and commercial vessels.
Last Monday, July 8, the Houthi group, listed as a terrorist organization, threatened to target Saudi airports, banks, and ports, after the group's war media published images of Saudi facilities.
The aerial images displayed by Houthi media included King Khalid Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, and the ports of Ras Tanura, Jizan, Jeddah, and King Abdullah.
On Sunday, July 7, Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi threatened to respond to every Saudi action with a counter-move, stating, "Will you accept that all airports in Saudi Arabia are closed, flights are suspended, and ports are shut down? We will respond to every move with a similar move. Riyadh airport with Sana'a airport, banks with banks... and so on: ports with ports."
During a speech to his supporters on the occasion of the Hijri New Year, the Houthi leader accused the United States of attempting to entrap Saudi Arabia, saying, "If you want to be entangled, be entangled, and try it." He described the threat to move banks from Sana'a as a "foolish and insane move."
These threats coincide with decisions made by the Central Bank Governor, Ahmed Al-Ma'bqi, who has revoked the licenses of 26 exchange companies since late last month and ordered the closure of their branches indefinitely for violating bank decisions and instructions.
These decisions follow two previous ones: imposing a unified network for domestic transfers and prohibiting dealings with 12 unlicensed electronic payment entities, as well as halting operations in local money transfer networks owned by banks, financial institutions, or exchange companies operating in Yemen.
On May 30, the Yemeni Central Bank in Aden, declared the temporary capital of the country, issued a decision to stop dealing with six Yemeni banks and financial institutions after the 60-day deadline for implementing its decision to relocate their headquarters to Aden expired.
It also issued another decision urging all individuals, commercial establishments, companies, other entities, and financial and banking institutions holding old banknotes from before 2016 of various denominations to deposit them within a maximum period of 60 days from the date of the announcement.