Yemen’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has firmly rejected Saudi Arabia’s latest military escalation, asserting that the Kingdom’s intensified airstrikes are a direct consequence of Sana’a’s principled position on the Palestinian cause a stance the ministry describes as the “central issue of the Islamic nation.”
In an official statement issued Wednesday, the ministry declared that Yemen’s solidarity with Palestine remains unshakable and that external efforts to entangle the country in internal strife will not succeed in shifting focus from Gaza.
“Yemen is being targeted today by the Saudi regime as a result of this steadfast humanitarian stance,” the statement read, emphasizing that the ongoing military operations serve to undermine the Palestinian cause itself.
The ministry further accused Riyadh of executing “a Zionist agenda in Yemen and the region,” alleging that the Saudi-led campaign and blockade have consistently worked in favor of Israeli interests. It called on the Saudi leadership to “break free from American and Israeli influence and return to the path of reason.”
Airstrikes Hit Multiple Governorates
Earlier Wednesday, Saudi warplanes carried out 43 airstrikes targeting several Yemeni governorates, including Marib, Al-Jawf, Taiz, and Al-Hudaydah, according to Al-Mayadeen’s bureau chief in Yemen. The raids were described as part of efforts to reinforce Saudi military positions on the ground.
Yemeni armed forces are currently engaged in confrontations with Saudi-backed troops across multiple fronts, having previously launched preemptive strikes against enemy troop concentrations, military sources confirmed.
Meanwhile, Saba news agency reported that Saudi shelling struck facilities belonging to the Sana’a-based government, as well as civilian homes in various governorates, escalating fears of further civilian casualties in a conflict already marked by widespread suffering.
A Conflict Entangled with Regional Tensions
The escalation comes as the broader Middle East remains roiled by the war in Gaza, which has galvanized popular sentiment across the Arab world and drawn Yemen’s Houthi-led authorities into direct confrontations with Israel and its allies through missile launches and Red Sea operations.
Saudi Arabia, which has led a military coalition against the Sana’a government since 2015, has previously signaled openness to diplomatic engagement, though Wednesday’s offensive marks a sharp departure from recent de-escalation efforts.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar)