Yemen: Fuel ships detained by Saudi coalition reach 12

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The Yemeni Petroleum Company (YPC) said Tuesday that the US-backed Saudi-led coalition seized two fuel ships despite obtaining entry permits and being inspected by the United Nations.

In a statement, YPC Spokesperson Issam Al-Mutawakel indicated that "the coalition, in partnership with the United Nations, continues to violate the temporary truce by seizing the two petrol-loaded ships ‘Super Emerald’ and ‘Ocean Automen’, which have been inspected and given entry permits to the port of Hodeida."

Al-Mutawakel confirmed that the number of fuel ships detained by the Saudi coalition reached 12, pointing out that "the aggression coalition and its mercenaries deliberately, through their arbitrary practices in piracy on fuel ships, waste the opportunities and evade the implementation of the provisions of the temporary truce to increase the suffering of the Yemeni people."

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The Yemeni spokesperson underlined that "The complicity of the United Nations and its shameful silence on the intransigence of the aggression coalition and its continued restricting on the Yemeni people in the aspects of living has become open and clear."

Al-Mutawakel held the Saudi coalition forces and the UN fully responsible for the humanitarian and economic repercussions of piracy, the continuation of the unlawful siege on Yemen, and the seizing of fuel ships.

On Monday, the head of Yemen's Supreme Political Council, Mahdi Al-Mashat, warned that "if the fuel ships do not enter the Al-Hudaydah port, consultations will take place with council members to take the appropriate decision."

Al-Mashat had underlined during his meeting with the Minister of Defense, Major General Nasser Al-Atifi, that "no breach of the armistice will be accepted," stressing "the necessity of disbursing all salaries of state employees and restoring the looted oil and gas revenues."

Sanaa: We will not allow the coalition to restart the LNG project

On Saturday, the Minister of Oil and Minerals in the Sanaa government, Ahmad Daris, revealed that he had learned from sources about vigorous efforts by the US-backed and Saudi-led coalition of aggression and their mercenaries to restart the liquefied natural gas (LNG) project with the approach of winter.

Dares stressed that the Sanaa government "will not allow the LNG project to be restarted unless its return is in the interest of all the Yemeni people," condemning "the looting of this national wealth while the Yemeni people suffer from the interruption of salaries."

The Minister added that "had these looted revenues were provided to Yemeni banks, it would have been possible to disburse the salaries of employees in all of Yemen."

Dares pointed out that "crude oil products are smuggled and exported through several ports, namely Bir Ali, Nishtun, Al-Daba and Qena," calling for "handing over the management of the oil, gas and mineral sectors to the Sanaa government."

He further noted that "the government of the mercenaries of aggression has reduced the allocations of the liberated areas of gas," warning all oil companies operating in Yemen and calling on them to abide by the agreements involved in production.

He also stressed that "the Sanaa government monitors around the clock all the movements of the aggression coalition and their mercenaries in the oil sectors and will take the appropriate and necessary measures to preserve the rights of the Yemeni people."

130 million barrels of oil were looted from Yemen

As for the volume of oil looted since 2018, the Minister of Oil and Minerals in the Sanaa government Ahmad Dares said that "The volume of looted crude oil during the period from 2018 to July of this year is estimated at 130 million barrels," adding that "the total value of looted oil revenues from 2018 to July amounts to $9.5 billion dollars."

Read more: Saudi-led coalition heavily targeting Yemeni energy sector: Sanaa