DOHA, July 20. /TASS/. Houthi rebels from the Yemen-based Ansar Allah movement have declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Saree said.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces (the Houthis - TASS) are announcing a ban on maritime navigation for <...> Saudi Arabia based on the ‘a siege for a siege’ formula. The decision takes effect at the time of the announcement," he wrote on Telegram.

The statement points out that the movement reserves the right to pursue "an all-out escalation" in response to Riyadh’s actions. "The Armed Forces confirm that they are fully prepared to deal with any developments. We will give a harsh response to any foolish thing <...> Saudi Arabia does," the statement adds.

The rebels also called on their supporters to continue a general mobilization.