Yemen: Saudi coalition clears four fuel ships to dock at Hodeidah

Move came after Houthis said they would only agree to a Saudi ceasefire proposal if air and sea blockades are lifted.

The Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen has cleared four fuel ships to dock at Yemen’s Red Sea port of Hodeidah, two sources familiar with the matter said, after Yemen’s internationally recognised government said on Wednesday it had approved the entry of some vessels. The move came after the Iran-aligned Houthi group, which has been battling the coalition since it intervened to stop a Houthi takeover of the country six years ago and controls most large urban centres in Yemen, said it would only agree to a Saudi ceasefire proposal if air and sea blockades are lifted. Four vessels – including two carrying a total of 45,000 tonnes of gas oil, one loaded with 5,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, and a fourth tanker with 22,700 tonnes of fuel oil – have received clearance from the coalition, the sources told Reuters news agency.