Yemeni government urges UNSC action as Houthis advance toward Bab al-Mandab

The UN Security Council held an emergency session on Tuesday to discuss possible solutions to the growing escalation caused by Houthi advances in Yemen, including intensified cross-border attacks into Saudi Arabia.

The representative of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, Abdullah Ali Fadhel al-Saadi, warned that the escalation is no longer an internal matter, but a growing threat to regional security, freedom of navigation in the Middle East, global energy supplies, and other global supply chains and trade networks.

The anti-Houthi government is "responding to Houthi advances" along the country's west coast, including towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait on the Red Sea, Saadi said.

Saadi also urged UNSC members to enforce the arms embargo on Houthi terrorists and disrupt all weapons, financing, and smuggling networks.

Abdulaziz M. Alwasil, Saudi Arabia's representative, warned that the Houthis are pursuing a policy of "choking the straits," thereby holding the global economy hostage.

Bahrain's Jamal Fares Alrowaei condemned the escalation, which has led to a worsening of Yemen's humanitarian crisis, forcing civilians to flee their homes.

"It's high time for the Security Council to take a more decisive stance," Alrowaei said.

UN Assistant Secretary-General Khaled Khiari, originally from Tunisia but representing the global organization rather than the North African state, noted that approximately 2,300 people have already arrived in Djibouti after fleeing the fighting.

Khiari also condemned attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure, and warned that further escalations around both the Bab al-Mandab and the Strait of Hormuz could have "grave consequences for international security."

US representative Jennifer Locetta stated that "freedom of navigation underpins the global economy, and the US is working with our partners to protect it."

US rep. calls on UNSC members to remain 'clear-eyed' on Tehran's role in Houthi escalation

Locetta also called on Iran to cease its backing of the terror group, and urged the UNSC to remain "clear-eyed" about Tehran's role in arming, funding, and giving instructions to the Sana'a-based terror group.

China's Sun Lei expressed concern over the rapid escalation, and reaffirmed the People's Republic's respect for Yemen and Saudi Arabia's respective sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Houthi terrorists 'bear full responsibility' for escalation, UK says

Protecting Red Sea shipping is a common international responsibility, and the rights of merchant vessels must be respected, he added.

The UK also condemned the escalation, saying that Houthi terrorists "bear full responsibility."

"Iran’s longstanding support to the Houthis continues to enable attacks that threaten civilians, neighboring states, maritime security, and prospects for peace," UK representative Kate Foster said.

"There can be no progress towards peace while the Houthis continue their military offensive, their attacks against Saudi Arabia, their threats to international shipping, and their obstruction of humanitarian action," Foster added.

"Today the Council should deliver a simple and united message: The Houthis must cease their attacks, release detained personnel, de-escalate immediately, and return towards the pathway to peace," she concluded.

Meanwhile, the General Secretariat of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemned the Houthis' "heinous attacks against the city of Mecca and the Madinah region, as well as its ongoing aggression against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."

"These attacks instill fear in innocent civilians, violate the sanctity of holy sites and mosques, and provoke the sentiments of Muslims around the world," the OIC added.