Yemen Negotiator: Saudi Arabia Clings To Sana’a Airport Closure

By Staff, Agencies

A recent strike on Sana'a International Airport shows Riyadh's determination to keep the facility closed, with reopening only possible under Saudi approval, according to Mohammed Abdul Salam, head of the Sana'a delegation negotiating with Saudi Arabia.

Abdul Salam stated that Saudi Arabia is holding fast to the closure of Sanaa airport while issuing statements in which it claims to defend "Yemeni sovereignty", denouncing Riyadh for practicing "lying, arrogance, malice, and aggression," adding that it resembles "Israel" in "everything".

He confirmed that Saudi aggression against the port and city of Hodeidah and Kamaran Island constitutes "a new escalation and an ongoing violation of Yemen's sovereignty", emphasizing that "any aggression against Yemen will not pass without a response and the Saudi regime must bear the consequences of its criminal acts".

Abdul Salam stressed that "hiding behind unjust UN statements, imposed as a result of Saudi oil relations, cannot obscure the reality of the unjust siege imposed on Yemen".

He added that Saudi Arabia stands behind this siege, having "launched a war on Yemen that lasted eight years and failed in it," and is now seeking to compensate for its loss by continuing the blockade.

In a related matter, Abdul Salam warned that Saudi Arabia, as a result of its miscalculation, has "set itself up as a clear enemy of Yemen," asserting that its insistence on "stubbornness and refusal to accept the truth will have serious consequences for its security and economy."

He explained that the maritime ban step represents "the first steps of the battle of blockade by blockade," stressing that "the Yemeni people will not leave their right without seizing it in any form."

A coalition airspace ban in August 2016 shut down Sana'a Airport, Yemen's main gateway serving around 20 million people, or 80% of the population.

Earlier, SABA chief Nasser al-Amer warned that Yemen's response to Saudi escalation would be significant, saying Riyadh must lift the blockade as forcing the Yemeni people to surrender is impossible.

The warning came after reported Yemeni retaliatory strikes on Saudi targets, while Ansarullah condemned Saudi attacks on civilian facilities in Hodeidah and Kamaran Island, calling them a dangerous escalation.

For its part, Ansarullah's Political Bureau condemned the targeting of civilian sites in Yemen, calling it a violation that would not go unanswered.

The bureau said the response equation would remain "blockade for blockade, ports for ports, and escalation for escalation," warning that continued aggression would bring further losses, while Saudi authorities have yet to comment on the reported strikes.