Saudi Arabia to reopen Yemen airports and seaports after brief closure

Saudi Arabia said Monday that the Arab coalition fighting the Houthi militia will begin reopening airports and seaports in Yemen, days after temporarily closing them after an Iranian-made missile attack on Riyadh.

"The first step in this process will be taken within 24 hours and involves reopening all the ports in areas controlled by" Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which the coalition backs, the Saudi mission at the United Nations said.

Those ports are in Aden, Mokha and Mukalla. For ports in rebel-held or disputed territories, like Hodeida, the mission said it had asked the UN to send a team of experts to discuss ways to make sure weapons can’t be smuggled in.

The Saudi-led coalition hopes that will prevent "the smuggling of weapons, ammunitions, missile parts and cash that are regularly being supplied by Iran and Iranian accomplices to the Houthi rebels," the statement said.

Saudi Arabia announced it shut down all ports after a Nov. 4 ballistic missile attack on Riyadh near its international airport by the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia and the United States have accused Iran of supplying the ballistic missile used in that attack, saying the missiles bore "Iranian markings."

source: Alarabiya