The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced late on 27 July that it has launched a “fourth phase” of its naval blockade against the Zionist occupation in support of Gaza.
In the statement, the YAF vowed to target the ships of any company that deals with Zionist ports, “regardless of its nationality” or destination, and in “any location.”
YAF spokesperson Yahya Saree warned the directive is effective from the moment of the announcement.
He stressed that ships belonging to violating companies will be targeted wherever Yemeni missiles and drones can reach, regardless of their destination.
Saree added that if countries wish to avoid further escalation, they must pressure the Zionist enemy to end its aggression and lift the siege on the Gaza Strip.
The spokesperson said that what the forces are doing expresses their moral and humanitarian commitment to the injustice suffered by the brotherly Palestinian people.
The statement reads in full:
Given the rapid developments in occupied Palestine, specifically in the Gaza Strip, including the continuation of the war of genocide and the martyrdom of thousands of our brotherly Palestinian people as a result of the aggression and siege that has been ongoing for months, and amid shameful Arab, Islamic, and international silence.
Yemen, in the face of the continuation of these horrific, brutal, and unprecedented massacres in our contemporary history, finds itself faces a religious, moral, and humanitarian responsibility toward the oppressed who are subjected daily and around-the-clock, to killing and destruction by air, land, and sea bombardment, as well as to starvation and thirst due to the stifling and severe siege on steadfast and proud Gaza, which is unacceptable to any human being, let alone Arabs and Muslims.
Accordingly, the Yemeni Armed Forces, relying on Allah Almighty and trusting in Allah, have decided to escalate their military support operations and begin implementing the fourth phase of the naval blockade against the enemy.
This phase includes targeting all ships belonging to any company that deals with the ports of the Israeli enemy, regardless of the nationality of that company, and in any location within the reach of our armed forces.
The Yemeni Armed Forces warn all companies to cease their dealings with Israeli enemy ports starting from the moment this statement is announced. Otherwise, their ships, regardless of their destination, will be targeted anywhere that can be reached or within the reach of our missiles and drones.
The Yemeni Armed Forces call on all countries, if they want to avoid this escalation, to pressure the enemy to halt its aggression and lift the blockade on the Gaza Strip.
There is no free person on this earth who can accept what is happening.The actions of the Yemeni Armed Forces express our moral and humanitarian commitment to the injustice against the brotherly Palestinian people, and all our military operations will be ceased immediately upon the cessation of aggression against Gaza and the lifting of the blockade.
Yemen began its maritime blockade operation on the occupation in November 2023. Since then, it has attacked scores of vessels sailing toward Zionist ports, significantly impacting the occupation’s economy and forcing the shutdown of the southern port of Eilat.
Earlier this month, the Yemeni army sank two Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged vessels that were heading to or dealing with Zionist ports.
The YAF has also continued to target the occupation with ballistic missiles. The regime carried out a massive attack on Yemen in early July.
According to Zionist Channel 12, Tel Aviv is planning a “major offensive” against Yemen and is waiting for a green light from the occupation’s political echelon.
Other Zionist reports said recently that Tel Aviv has been lobbying Washington to restart its campaign against Yemen and form a broad coalition to end the threat posed by the YAF. A deadly US campaign against Yemen that was launched in March came to an end in May after Washington burned through around $1 billion in munitions, failing to impact Sanaa’s military capabilities.
Yemen’s announcement late on Sunday comes as the regime’s siege has created catastrophic levels of famine in the Gaza Strip.
Dozens, including children, have died of starvation over the past week.