Saudi Arabia: We will not allow Yemen to be used as a platform to threaten our security or freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait

Saudi Arabia condemned, before the Security Council, the attacks launched by the terrorist Houthi militia against its territory, which targeted civilians, civilian objects, and vital infrastructure, particularly airports. It affirmed its inherent right to defend its territory. At the same time, the Yemeni government delivered a message to the United Nations and the Security Council regarding the terrorist attack carried out by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on Aden International Airport, calling for condemnation of this crime, accountability for its perpetrators, and the full and effective implementation of the arms embargo imposed on the militias.

This came in the statement delivered by Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasail, before the Security Council during its session held the evening before yesterday on the situation in Yemen. Al-Wasail emphasized that the continuous escalation by the terrorist Houthi militia, including its targeting of civilians and threats to navigation security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, constitutes a threat that transcends Yemen and the region, extending its impact to international peace and security, global trade, and international supply chains.

He clarified, in his statement relayed by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), that the terrorist Houthi militia continues its hostile and terrorist practices against the Yemeni people, neighboring countries, and the region, including attacks on civilians, civilian objects, and vital infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. These are alongside its practices against the brotherly Yemeni people, which include imposing internal blockades, forced displacement, starvation, terrorizing women, and recruiting children.

He drew attention to the escalation by the Houthi militia and its attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which affected airport facilities and a Saudi Arabian Airlines aircraft, resulting in the martyrdom of three Saudi citizens and injuring several citizens and residents of various nationalities, as well as causing material damage.

He referred to the militia’s attempt to target Mecca last month, for the second time, following its previous attempt on July 27, 2017. He noted that on September 29 last year, the militia targeted the Taiba electricity distribution station in Medina, an attack that constitutes a provocation of Muslims’ sentiments around the world.

The Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations pointed out that Houthi attacks, which targeted the cities of Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan, Najran, Riyadh, and other cities in the Kingdom, were carried out using ballistic missiles and drones. He stated that attacks on Abha and King Khalid International Airports resulted in the death of three civilians and injuries to 36 others of various nationalities, emphasizing that these attacks, which claimed the lives of civilians from sister nations and endangered the safety of travelers and workers of different nationalities, represent not only a violation of the Kingdom’s sovereignty and security but also a direct threat to the safety of civilians and civil aviation.

Regarding maritime security, Al-Wasail said, “The terrorist Houthi militia continues to threaten maritime navigation and international trade in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, targeting ships and economic facilities, thereby endangering the security and stability of the region and the safety of global energy supplies.” He stressed that the Kingdom will not allow Yemen to be turned into a platform for threatening its security or freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, affirming that it is unacceptable for a terrorist militia to impose its will on Yemen and the region by force of arms.

He called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities regarding the implementation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, foremost among them Resolution 2216 (2015) on Yemen and Resolution 2722 (2024) on freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s inherent right to defend its territory, assets, sovereignty, and the safety of its citizens and residents, and to take all necessary measures to protect its security and deter attacks targeting civilians, civilian objects, and economic facilities, in accordance with the UN Charter and international law.

He added that the Houthi militia has chosen military escalation each time, worked to disrupt efforts aimed at reaching a comprehensive political settlement, shirked its commitments, and dragged the Yemeni people into conflicts that do not serve their interests, while threatening the security and stability of the region. He affirmed the Kingdom’s full support for the brotherly Yemeni people in ending the coup and restoring the state and its institutions from the terrorist Houthi coup militia.

He noted that the total economic and developmental assistance provided by the Kingdom to Yemen between 2012 and 2026 exceeded $12.6 billion, while total humanitarian aid provided by the Kingdom to Yemen surpassed $4.5 billion.

The Kingdom’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations called on the UN Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities in safeguarding international peace and security and to halt Houthi attacks that threaten the security of the Kingdom and the region, as well as international navigation. Al-Wasail emphasized that the Kingdom’s goal remains achieving security and stability, ending the suffering of the brotherly Yemeni people, and supporting every serious effort that leads to a comprehensive and sustainable political solution, thereby preserving Yemen’s sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity.

For his part, Ambassador Abdullah Al-Saadi, Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, affirmed during a Security Council session that the government had given peace successive opportunities and bore significant economic and human costs for de-escalation, but the Houthis responded with mobilization and expansion of attacks. Al-Saadi handed a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the Security Council for the month of

Greece’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Aglaia Pappa, delivered a statement in which the Council was briefed on the details of the attack and its severity for the safety of regional and international civil aviation.

Al-Saadi warned that leniency toward the militia’s behavior would undermine prospects for a political settlement, asserting that the group seeks to override the will of the Yemeni people under Iranian orders. He clarified that Operation “Yemen’s Dawn” aims to empower state institutions and end the Houthi coup, and is not a war against the population of any region, but rather a confrontation between the state and militias backed by Iran. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to international law and the protection of citizens.

Al-Saadi accused the Houthis of causing the displacement of tens of thousands, targeting Aden Airport prior to the landing of a civilian flight, and attacking Saudi airports and civilian facilities. He warned that the Houthi threat extends to maritime navigation, citing UN reports that confirmed the group’s cooperation with Somalia’s Al-Shabaab movement to threaten the Bab al-Mandab strait. He emphasized that protecting sea lanes is a shared international responsibility, calling for action against smuggling and financing networks and support for the Yemeni government.

He also praised Saudi Arabia’s continuous support for Yemeni state institutions and the economy, commending the Saudi humanitarian initiative to resolve the plight of Yemenis.

In a supportive stance toward Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government, the United States representative to the UN Security Council affirmed Washington’s support for Riyadh and the Yemeni government in exercising their right to self-defense, amid escalating military confrontations with the Houthi group and ongoing security tensions in the region.

For his part, UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg warned the day before yesterday of the critical phase the country is undergoing, stressing that Houthi threats to international navigation are negatively impacting global markets, amid escalating military operations and widening confrontations. Grundberg stated that Yemen is at a pivotal juncture, emphasizing the need to respect UN resolutions concerning the country, amid concerns over the repercussions of continued escalation on regional security and international trade.

In a related development, the UN Under-Secretary-General called for the release of UN staff members detained by the Houthi group in Yemen, amid ongoing concerns about their safety.