Yemen's Houthi movement announced Monday that the ceasefire with Saudi Arabia is over, accusing Riyadh of starting a war. The Houthi foreign ministry said the truce has ended in all arenas.
The Houthi movement in Yemen announced Monday afternoon that the ceasefire with Saudi Arabia has ended in all arenas, accusing Riyadh of starting a war. The declaration, made by the Houthi foreign ministry at 14:33 Jerusalem time, is the latest in a rapid sequence of events that began with claims of a Saudi war declaration after airstrikes on Sanaa International Airport.
The thread of reports began at 14:33 Jerusalem when the Houthis first claimed, without independent verification, that Saudi Arabia had declared war. Shortly thereafter, the Houthi foreign ministry specifically accused Saudi Arabia of declaring war following a strike on Sanaa airport. Concurrently, reports emerged of Saudi fighter jets striking the airport again, then expanding to broader Houthi targets across the capital. The formal ceasefire termination followed these strikes. The Zioneer reported on July 4 that the Houthis had declared readiness for any scenario, and on July 12 that the Houthi foreign ministry warned Saudi Arabia against disrupting Sanaa airport operations.
The escalation comes amid a wider backdrop of tensions. The Zioneer reported on July 5 that Houthi forces launched a major assault on legitimate government forces near Hays, and on June 27 of unverified heavy clashes between Houthis and Saudi-aligned forces in southern Yemen. Earlier Monday, at 14:13 Jerusalem, the defense minister of Yemen's anti-Houthi government warned Iran that 'our patience is over,' according to The Zioneer.
The Saudi government has not yet responded to the Houthi declaration. The claim that Riyadh initiated a war remains a unilateral accusation from the Houthis, and the operational status of the ceasefire across all arenas is unverified independently. The extent of the military escalation and any potential Saudi retaliation remain open.
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