Saudi Arabia enforces blockade near Yemen
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CAIRO -- Saudi Arabia on Tuesday imposed a naval blockade on the Red Sea coast of northern Yemen to combat Shiite rebels along its border, an adviser to the government said, in the latest escalation of fighting in the southern Arabian Peninsula.
The Saudi move comes as Iran, which is the region's dominant Shiite power and is accused by the Arabs of backing the rebels, warned neighboring countries not to interfere in Yemen's internal affairs.
The Saudi offensive has raised concerns of a proxy war in the Middle East between Iran and Saudi Arabia, a key U.S. ally. Shiite Iran is thought to favor the rebels in Yemen, while Saudi Arabia, which is Sunni, is Iran's fiercest regional rival.
The Shiite rebels in northern Yemen, known as Hawthis, have been fighting the government for five years, but in recent months the violence has escalated and crossed the border into Saudi Arabia. The kingdom has responded with several days of airstrikes against the rebels, which continued Tuesday.
The Saudi adviser said the kingdom's warships had been ordered to search any suspect ship sailing near the Yemeni coast. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Saudi-owned al-Arabiya satellite TV also reported the blockade.
Also Tuesday, Prince Khaled bin Sultan, the Saudi assistant defense minister, said the rebels must "withdraw dozens of kilometers" inside Yemen before the Saudi army would halt its assault.
Yemen and Saudi Arabia have been accusing Iran of sending weapons and money to the Shiite rebels. Iran denies the allegation and even warned against outside involvement in the impoverished country.
"The regional countries and especially the neighboring countries -- we recommend seriously they not interfere in the internal issues of Yemen and instead try to restore stability in Yemen," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said.
Meanwhile, Saudi defense expert Anwar Eshki said the Saudi army has tightened its control of the border area but has no plans to enter Yemen, despite Saudi airstrikes on rebel arms positions.
"We can say the whole area is now under control and the Saudi border is now quiet," said Eshki, head of the Middle East Center for Strategic and Legal Studies based in the Saudi city of Jiddah. Ashki said the Saudi operation was coordinated with Yemen.
-- Associated Press
