News - Middle East: US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Michael Erik Kurilla visited Saudi Arabia on May 9-10 for talks, CENTCOM said on Saturday.

The US Central Command added that Kurilla also meets in Saudi Arabia with the US Ambassadors to Saudi Arabia and Yemen to discuss current security challenges in the region, with a particular focus on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden attacks.

Since the onset of Zionist aggression on Gaza, the Yemeni Armed Forces have initiated three stages of escalation against the Zionist entity. It commenced with a ban on maritime navigation for the Zionist entity in the Red Sea, followed by restrictions on ships affiliated with the enemy.

As the Zionist aggression on Gaza persisted, the Armed Forces expanded their operations to include targeting enemy navigation in the Arabian Sea, extending to the Indian Ocean. This action was a response to the aggression of the US-British coalition against Yemen.

The Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out attacks on ships linked to Israel near Yemeni ports. Notably, they intercepted and seized a vessel associated with the Tel Aviv regime on November 19.

These maritime attacks have compelled some of the world's largest shipping and oil companies to suspend transit through one of the most critical maritime trade routes.

Tankers bound for Israel are now taking alternative routes, adding thousands of miles to their journey by circumnavigating the continent of Africa rather than transiting through the Suez Canal.

On Friday, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the initiation of the fourth stage of escalation by broadening the targeting scope to ships associated with the Zionist entity in the Mediterranean Sea.

This announcement aligns with the directives of the Leader of the Revolution, Sayyed Abdulmalik al-Houthi, who pledged to escalate operations in the Red Sea until Israel ceases its aggression in Gaza and the US ceases its attacks on Yemen.

"We are preparing for a fourth phase of escalation if the Israeli enemy and the Americans persist in their obstinacy," stated Sayyed Abdulmalik in a televised speech on Thursday.