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According to CCTV, Yemen's Houthi movement issued new statements that could increase tensions with Saudi Arabia.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said in a statement posted on social media platform X that the group's forces had shot down a Saudi reconnaissance drone using "appropriate weapons," claiming it had been conducting "hostile activities" in the airspace over Yemen's Al Jawf province. No further operational details were provided.

On July 20, the Houthis announced the start of a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia, arguing that the move was a response to the long-standing land, sea, and air blockade imposed on Yemen and to airstrikes targeting Sana'a International Airport.

In response, the Saudi-led coalition said it had taken measures to ensure the safe passage of member states' vessels through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and warned that it would respond "swiftly and decisively" to any threats posed by the Houthis.

Tahir Anam, an adviser to the Houthis' Supreme Political Council, also claimed that their objective was to force Saudi Arabia to lift the blockade on Yemen. He further asserted that if the United States launched a military operation against Yemen, the group would target U.S. assets in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Arabian Sea.

Meanwhile, Houthi sources told Lebanon-based Al Mayadeen television that they had targeted three Saudi oil tankers over the past 48 hours and had begun enforcing the declared naval blockade against Saudi maritime shipping.

The sources also claimed that since the blockade came into effect, no Saudi oil tanker had passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and that 16 Saudi vessels had been forced to turn back.

These claims have not been independently verified. As of the time of publication, neither Saudi Arabia nor the Saudi-led coalition had issued an official response to the statements.