IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani called on Saudi Arabia to lift the 11-year naval blockade on Yemen, arguing that the demand is legitimate and that Riyadh should instead redirect its resources to support Palestinians and fight Israel, according to an Iranian-aligned source.
IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani on Sunday morning called on Saudi Arabia to lift its 11-year naval blockade on Yemen, explicitly citing the duration of the siege for the first time in this thread. The statement, circulated by an Iranian-aligned source, urged Riyadh to redirect resources toward fighting Israel and supporting Palestinians, describing the blockade as 'illegitimate.'
This follows Qaani's statement on Saturday evening, when he expressed support for Houthi military actions against Saudi Arabia and called on Riyadh to lift its siege on the Houthis, according to the same source. The Saturday statement, published at 22:12 Jerusalem, did not mention the blockade's duration. The Sunday morning statement adds that specificity, intensifying the rhetorical pressure on Saudi Arabia.
The Zioneer has reported on multiple occasions this year on Qaani's remarks regarding the conflict with Israel and the role of the resistance front. Earlier this month, an Iranian spokesman denied the existence of an air blockade on Yemen, calling the principle unjust. The broader context of Iran-Saudi proxy conflict in Yemen, alongside the ongoing war with Israel, frames these statements.
No independent verification of the statement was available, and Saudi Arabia has not yet responded. The claim of an 11-year naval blockade is a recurring Iranian narrative, and the source remains an Iranian-aligned outlet with no on-record confirmation.
2 developments
- StrongIRGC Quds Force chief warns of united front after Yemen attacks
- StrongQuds Force chief reiterates threat: withdrawal or defeat; Israeli commentator says he's right
- StrongIRGC Quds Force chief Qaani warns US and Israel: new pressure points will open
- StrongIRGC Quds Force chief Qaani addresses IDF soldiers in Hebrew: surrender or face 2000-style rout
Source and signal
- Open-source intake