Yemen declares Red Sea closed to Israeli ships after missile strike

Yemen's armed forces announced on Monday that they struck important targets in occupied Jaffa with missiles and declared a complete ban on Israeli navigation in the Red Sea, warning that any Zionist movement would now be treated as a military target.

In a statement on Monday morning, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF), said the missile strike hit its intended targets in the occupied Yaffa area. He provided no further details on the nature of the targets or the extent of damage.

Saree then announced a full prohibition on enemy navigation in the Red Sea, declaring: "Any movement by the Zionists will be considered a military target for Yemeni forces." He said Yemen would respond to escalation with escalation, and that the intensity of operations would increase in line with the requirements of the battle and in coordination with the Axis of Resistance.

"We affirm the right of our people and free peoples to confront US-Israeli aggression," Saree said. "Our operations will continue as long as the aggression continues, and we will not stand idly by in the face of the unjust siege imposed on our people and the peoples of the Axis of Resistance and jihad."

According to Mehr News, the announcement marks a significant escalation in Yemen's military posture against Israel amid ongoing regional tensions.