Yemeni President Announces Immediate Resumption of Oil Exports Amid Escalating Houthi Maritime Threats

      Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, announced that the government will resume crude oil exports “by all available means” effective immediately, marking the clearest official commitment to restoring the country’s main source of revenue since Houthi attacks halted exports in late 2022.

The announcement came in a nationally televised address delivered hours after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, a move that has heightened regional tensions and renewed concerns over the security of Red Sea shipping and energy infrastructure.

Al-Alimi framed the resumption of oil exports as both an economic and national priority, stating that revenues would be directed toward paying public sector salaries, improving essential services, and supporting economic stability across Yemen. He accused the Houthis of deliberately targeting the country’s oil facilities and depriving millions of Yemenis of their primary source of public income.

The president also argued that the Houthi campaign against maritime navigation and energy supplies serves broader Iranian regional objectives, warning that the group seeks to drag Yemen into wider regional conflicts while holding the country’s economy hostage.

The decision to restart exports carries significant strategic implications. By linking oil revenues directly to salaries and public services, the government is reinforcing its message that the continued suspension of exports has been driven by Houthi attacks rather than state policy. At the same time, the declaration that exports will resume “by all available means” signals that protecting oil infrastructure and export routes has become a national priority amid escalating security threats.

The speech also included a direct appeal for national unity, urging tribes, political forces, and military formations to rally behind the armed forces and state institutions to restore government authority and protect Yemen’s sovereignty.

The announcement comes at a time of rapidly escalating regional tensions, following recent Houthi threats against Saudi-linked maritime traffic and growing concerns over the security of critical energy and shipping routes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.