Yemen: Houthis threaten to directly attack int'l oil tankers

Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi

24 October 2022; MEMO: The Houthis yesterday threatened to directly attack international oil tankers in response to the "looting of the wealth" of Yemen, senior official Mohammed Bukhaiti said.

Commenting on the targeting of Al-Dhabba oil terminal in the Hadhramaut governorate, Bukhaiti wrote on Twitter: "This attack was a warning to the oil tanker commissioned to steal Yemen's oil. The attack was not aimed at targeting the terminal."

"Next time, the oil tankers will be targeted unless the aggressive countries stop stealing our wealth and direct the revenues to paying salaries."

Bukhaiti threatened that "any escalation by the enemy would be met with a similar escalation in the sea and on the ground."

"If the international law allows the aggressive countries to kill Yemenis, besieging them and looting their wealth, we will bury it like what we have done with the UN Security Council resolutions and international community condemnations."

"At this point, we will continue defending ourselves."

Yemen's Saudi-backed government said on Friday its forces had intercepted armed drones launched on a southern oil terminal in Hadhramaut province by Houthi fighters as an oil tanker was preparing to dock.