Yemen Declares ‘Siege for Siege, Escalation for Escalation’ in Response to Saudi Actions
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Mahdi al-Mashat, Chairman of Yemen‘s Supreme Political Council, declared a new retaliatory policy against Saudi Arabia, stating that Yemen will respond to any siege with a counter-siege and to any escalation with intensified action. This announcement was made during a speech commemorating the 12th anniversary of the September 21st Revolution.
Al-Mashat extended congratulations on the anniversary to the leader of the revolution, Sayyid Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, and expressed gratitude to the Yemeni people, particularly the armed forces, security personnel, and the families of martyrs, wounded, and prisoners. He highlighted that the September 21st Revolution prioritized forgiveness and clemency over retribution, contrasting it with the actions of colonial powers who, he stated, engineered conspiracies and launched a criminal aggression.
The Yemeni leader asserted that the aggression, led by Saudi Arabia and overseen by the United States, was driven by their intolerance of a free and independent Yemen. Despite extensive resources deployed for the assault, including over 250,000 airstrikes and a brutal Saudi blockade, the offensive ultimately failed to break the will of the Yemeni people.
Al-Mashat emphasized that Yemen had not closed the door to peace, having initiated peace efforts and made concessions. However, he maintained that the core objective remained the cessation of the Saudi aggression and unjust blockade. He noted that during the ceasefire, Yemen had called on the Saudi regime to implement a roadmap and finalize peace, but the regime resorted to stubbornness and procrastination. He further accused Saudi Arabia of exploiting Yemen’s focus on supporting Palestine to intensify the blockade, stating that the suffering endured by the Yemeni people due to aggression, the blockade, and deprivation of national resources has become unbearable.
He detailed that the Yemeni populace, in response to these hardships, mobilized in massive numbers during “Warning and Public Mobilization Friday,” urging their leadership to take decisive action to end the aggression and blockade, liberate the land, secure their rights, and reclaim their resources. In response to these legitimate public demands, al-Mashat announced Yemen’s transition from a phase of demands to one of action, proclaiming the new policy of “siege for siege, and escalation for escalation.”
Acknowledging the hardships faced by the people, al-Mashat expressed deep respect for their steadfastness. He stated that the September 21st Revolution, through its legitimate operations, has not only broken the siege but also pursued reconstruction efforts by bolstering agriculture, supporting domestic production, and promoting Yemeni-made products. He reiterated a call for those deceived by the Saudi enemy to embrace the presidential pardon and return to Yemen to stand with their compatriots on the side of truth. Al-Mashat also condemned Saudi Arabia’s false claims of the Yemeni army targeting Mecca, calling them shameful and doomed to failure, asserting that the world recognizes the honor of the Yemeni army and sees through such futile performances.
