Yemen's internationally recognised government 'prepared for any escalations'

Yemen's internationally recognised government said it is ready for any escalation with Houthi rebels after the Iran-backed group launched attacks and a maritime blockade targeting Saudi Arabia.



Fears are growing that renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi rebels in Yemen may further destabilise the Arabian Peninsula and rattle the region's precarious fault lines.



The comments came just hours after the Houthis said they launched fresh drone strikes targeting Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure in response to incursions by the kingdom's drones.



Al-Zouba said the government was increasingly worried that the Tehran-backed rebels were copying Iranian manoeuvres in the Strait of Hormuz to gain control over the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a crucial passage into the Red Sea off the Yemeni coast.