Chairman of Yemen’s Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat, says maritime transport in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait and southern Red Sea is going on safely, emphasizing that the Yemeni Armed Forces have diverse and unexpected options in store to reclaim the Yemeni nation’s rights.

“The maritime navigation in the strategic water body is safe. What threatens the safety of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is the Saudi regime’s attempts to transform it into a war zone,” Mashat stated on Sunday night, calling on the international community to strongly condemn such bids.

He underscored that the Yemeni military possesses diverse and unexpected options to seize back the Arab Peninsula nation’s rights, will move forward while trusting in God, believing in the legitimacy of its cause, and will never back down from restoring the inalienable rights of the Yemeni nation.

Mashat further noted that the Sana’a-based Yemeni government welcomes a peace initiative proposed by the Grand Imam of al-Azhar, Sheikh Ahmad Muhammad al-Tayyeb,  

“Any initiative intended to secure peace is always welcome, and will succeed if the mediators and involved parties demonstrate sincerity. Peace is a less costly, more effective, and more sustainable option,” the senior Yemeni official pointed out.

Yemeni armed forces hit major targets deep inside Saudi Arabia

Yemeni armed forces say they have targeted three major locations deep inside Saudi territory.

Mashat also condemned Saudi Arabia for reneging on its commitments and intensifying its blockade against Yemen, stressing that Riyadh’s relentless aggression has created the world's largest humanitarian crisis according to the United Nations reports.

He stressed that Saudi Arabia has broken “its promises as a form of punishment for our nation since it wholeheartedly supports the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.”

It is “mobilizing forces, training its mercenaries, forming military alliances, and supplying them with all types of weapons ahead of a new bout of aggression” against Yemen, the chairman of Yemen's Supreme Political Council pointed out.

On July 20, the Sana’a government announced a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia in response to "an unjust and oppressive siege" on Yemen for almost 12 years.

Subsequently, the Yemeni armed forces have reported a series of successful missions that have targeted vessels associated with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea.

In March 2015, Saudi Arabia and its allies imposed a blockade on Yemen, initiating a comprehensive military offensive that received support in terms of military, political, and logistical assistance from the United States and several Western countries.

Tens of thousands of Yemenis have lost their lives; however, Saudi Arabia has failed to achieve its primary goal of reestablishing a puppet government that served its interests.