Al-Badawi calls for an international stance against the Houthis, and Grundberg accuses them of seeking a comprehensive war
With UN envoy Hans Grundberg warning that the military escalation by the Houthi militia threatens to plunge Yemen back into a wide-scale conflict, GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Bedaiwi called on the international community today to take a firm international stance against the Iranian-backed rebel group’s attacks, cautioning against the repercussions of targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels on regional security and the safety of international navigation.
Al-Bedaiwi stated that the Houthi militia’s attacks on Saudi Arabia on July 13 and its targeting of commercial ships since July 22 constitute a “blatant violation of its sovereignty and a direct threat to its security, stability, and territorial integrity.” He welcomed the condemnation by Security Council members on August 7 of these assaults, reaffirming the GCC’s full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and support for the measures it is taking to protect its security and sovereignty.
He emphasized that targeting commercial ships and threatening international maritime navigation routes represent a serious escalation endangering regional security and stability, urging the international community to assume its responsibilities regarding these attacks, hold the Houthis accountable, and work to immediately halt their attacks and violations.
For his part, Grundberg said that the attacks on Al-Mukha and its port represent an “unprecedented escalation since the truce began in 2022,” sharply increasing the risk of a return to large-scale conflict.
He stressed the necessity of halting the escalation and protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, calling on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and take concrete steps to de-escalate tensions and prevent the erosion of the gains achieved by the truce.
Grundberg affirmed that a sustainable end to the conflict cannot be achieved militarily, but rather through an “inclusive political process,” warning that continued escalation is pushing Yemen in the wrong direction.
On the ground, the Yemeni army announced that seven people, including four military personnel, were killed and 30 injured in an attack on the city and port of Al-Mukha, while air defenses shot down 11 drones, according to a military statement.
In Aden, Southern Forces announced they had dealt with hostile drones that threatened vital and service facilities, while three soldiers from the Shabwa Defense Forces were killed and eight others injured in a Houthi shelling of positions in Bayhan.
