Houthi rebels threaten to ban Saudi products

Sanaa, Oct 31 Yemen's Houthi rebels have threatened to ban Saudi Arabia's products from entering the war-torn nation in response to the Kingdom's boycott on Lebanese products in retaliation to the remarks of a Minister in Yemen.

"If Saudi Arabia bans the products of Lebanon for the position taken by the Minister of Information George Kordahi, then I call on the (Houthi) Yemeni government to hold an emergency meeting to take a decision of banning Saudi products," he Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported on Saturday citing a tweet by Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the militia's revolutionary committee.

Saudi Arabia has recalled its Ambassador to Beirut, asked the Lebanese envoy in the Kingdom to leave within 48 hours and banned Lebanese products as a protest to Kordahi's remarks that described the Riyadh-led coalition war on the Houthi militia in Yemen as "absurd".

Other coalition countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, also adopted similar measures.

Kordahi's remarks were broadcasted earlier this week on an Arab media network.

However, the Lebanese government said the Minister's remarks were made months before his appointment.

The Iran-backed Lebanese Hezbollah has shown support to Kordahi's remarks, according to Lebanese media.