Sources: Yemen’s president barred from going home

CAIRO — Saudi Arabia has barred Yemen’s president, along with his sons, ministers and military officials, from returning home for months, Yemeni officials tell The Associated Press, a sign of how much the leader-in-exile has been deeply weakened in a war fought in his name by the Saudi-led coalition against rebels in his country.

The officials said the ban was prompted by the bitter enmity between President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and the United Arab Emirates, which is part of the coalition and has come to dominate southern Yemen, the portion of the country not under rebel control. Hadi and much of his government have been in the Saudi capital Riyadh for most of the war.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the two main pillars of the coalition, which is ostensibly defending Hadi’s government and is battling the Shiite rebels known as Houthis.

Saudi Arabia on Sunday intensified its blockade on Yemen on Sunday, closing down all traffic to Yemen’s air and sea ports and closing land crossings.

The coalition move came after the Houthis fired a missile toward Riyadh, their deepest strike into the kingdom.

Since Hadi last left Yemen in February, he has repeatedly sent requests to Saudi King Salman asking to return. None was processed, said a Yemeni security commander.