The Security Council Calls on the Houthis to Immediately Cease Escalation Against Saudi Arabia

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The United Nations Security Council condemned on Friday in the strongest terms the continued attacks by the Houthis against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, calling on the group to cease military escalation and attacks targeting civilians and civilian facilities.

The council's position came in a joint statement read by France's representative to the United Nations, Jerome Bonavon, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council during September.

The statement said that Security Council members condemned "in the strongest terms" the continued Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including attacks that targeted civilian infrastructure and energy facilities, resulting in injuries to civilians, including women and children.

Council members expressed their concern over the ongoing escalation and the risks it poses to civilians and regional stability, amid the return of confrontations in Yemen and the increase in attacks on Saudi Arabia and navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.

The Security Council demanded that the Houthis immediately cease military escalation and end attacks that affect civilians and civilian objects.

The Council also emphasized the necessity of adhering to international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, affirming the importance of respecting navigation rights and freedoms.

The Council had also condemned the attacks and threats targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.

This condemnation comes amid escalating fighting in recent weeks. The United Nations had warned this month of Yemen entering a new, more dangerous phase after the end of the relative calm that followed the UN-mediated truce in 2022.

In recent weeks, there have been missile and drone attacks on sites within Saudi Arabia, alongside operations targeting commercial navigation, while the Houthis have made advances in parts of the Yemeni coast overlooking the Red Sea, raising concerns about the security of Bab al-Mandab, one of the most important maritime routes for global trade and energy.

The escalation also comes amid renewed accusations against Tehran of supporting the Houthis. Washington and its allies accuse Iran of providing support to the group.

However, Iranian President Masoud Bezhakian denied on Thursday his country's responsibility for the Houthis' actions, asserting that the group is "responsible for its actions," according to the French Press Agency.

The Security Council had previously affirmed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in facing attacks targeting civilians and civilian facilities on its territory, and it also pointed to the kingdom's right to defend itself under international law.

The new condemnation places the issues of Saudi security and freedom of navigation at the forefront of the international stance on the Yemeni escalation, with a call for the Houthis to cease military operations that threaten civilians and vital maritime routes.