Sanaa (South24)

Yesterday, Houthi leader Abdulmalik Al-Houthi threatened to resume the war with Saudi Arabia and strike vital targets there, during a video speech broadcast on Al-Masirah TV.

Al-Houthi accused Saudi Arabia of being behind multiple economic measures taken by the internationally recognized Yemeni government, including transferring commercial banks from Houthi-controlled Sanaa to the capital, Aden.

Part of his speech was directed at the Saudis, threatening an ‘eye for an eye’, telling them that “harming a bank in Sanaa means harming a bank in Riyadh” and “harming Sanaa airport means harming airports in Saudi Arabia”, and that harming Hodeidah port means harming all ports. 

Al-Houthi also discussed recent prisoner negotiations in Muscat regarding prisoners, stating  his group offered to release Saudi pilots in exchange for Hamas members arrested by Saudi Arabia, but Riyadh refused.

Following the speech, Houthi officials and politicians began making similar threats against Saudi Arabia on social media.

The Houthi military media account on the X platform released aerial photos with coordinates for Saudi ports.

الأمريكي يحاول أن يورطكم، وإذا كنتم تريدون ذلك فجربوا#فجربوا pic.twitter.com/4pVEHInA3Q

— الإعلام الحربي اليمني (@MMY1444) July 7, 2024

These threats came four days after Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan announced that the roadmap for peace in Yemen was ready to be signed by the parties involved.

وزير الخارجية السعودي الأمير فيصل بن فرحان: خارطة الطريق اليمنية جاهزة ومستعدون للعمل وفقا لها pic.twitter.com/79tmeaRGap

— الحدث اليمني (@Alhadath_Ymn) July 4, 2024

Minister Farhan, in statements published by the Saudi-based Al-Hadath TV, said that “the Yemeni roadmap is ready” and expressed readiness to work according to it.

“We believe that by signing the road map we will be able to move forward and we hope that this will happen sooner rather than later," he added.

On Saturday, the week-long round of negotiations between the Yemeni government and the Houthis regarding prisoners of war ended without having made any progress.

Related: New negotiations between Yemen's government and Houthis in Muscat 

According to information released by the two parties, they agreed to resume negotiations in two months, with the government side noting, "important breakthroughs have been achieved despite the intransigence of the Houthi militia."

On Thursday, the office of the UN Envoy to Yemen told South24 Center that the two parties had agreed to exchange prisoners, including Islah Party-affiliated Yemeni politician Muhammad Qahtan.

On Friday, Saudi media and local Yemeni websites reported that the Houthi militia agreed to release Yemenia Airways aircraft detained in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.

According to a post from Al-Hadath TV on X, Yemenia Airways will resume flights transporting Yemeni pilgrims on Friday, while flights between Sanaa and the Jordanian capital, Amman, will resume on Saturday.

Related: Yemenia Airways to resume flights as Houthis agree to release detained aircraft

Flights have already since returned hundreds of Yemeni pilgrims from Jeddah Airport in Saudi Arabia to Houthi-controlled Sanaa Airport.

A source told South24 Center that the Presidential Leadership Council unanimously agreed on Thursday to freeze measures affecting Yemenia Airways which the Ministry of Transport had implemented against the Houthis.

Related: PLC Chairman reverses economic measures under Saudi pressure, sources say 

This marks the first retreat by the Yemeni government from its measures in favor of the Houthis, most likely under Saudi pressure.