Yemeni Presidential Council warns of repercussions of Houthi militia escalation on international navigation and trade
Aden, September 24 (KUNA) -- Abdullah al-Ahmar, a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, warned on Thursday of the repercussions of the Houthi militia’s military escalation and its movements toward the Bab al-Mandab Strait on the security of the Red Sea and on international navigation and trade. The Yemeni News Agency (Saba) reported that al-Ahmar made these remarks during a meeting in New York with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, to discuss the latest developments in Yemen and the region, on-the-ground developments, and ways to enhance cooperation in maritime security and the protection of international navigation.
Al-Ahmar pointed to continued Iranian support for the Houthi militia in the form of weapons, expertise, and military technologies that enable it to sustain its escalation, emphasizing the importance of implementing the arms embargo and sanctions measures and strengthening monitoring to prevent the flow of weapons and military equipment to the group. He stated that securing the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab requires supporting the Yemeni state and enhancing the capacities of its military and security institutions, as well as the coast guard, to protect its territory, ports, and territorial waters, and to combat smuggling and organized crime.
He called on the European Union and its member states to adopt a firmer stance against the Houthi militia and its sources of support, to consider designating it as a terrorist organization, and to curtail its military capabilities by drying up its funding and arms supplies. He expressed Yemen’s appreciation for the role played by the European Union’s maritime operation, Aspides, in protecting commercial vessels and freedom of navigation.
The agency noted that Kallas, for her part, reaffirmed the EU’s continued support for the Yemeni government and the Yemeni people, and condemned the Houthi militia’s military escalation and its attacks inside Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. According to Saba, Kallas stressed the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, and of continuing support for the Yemeni government in confronting current challenges. (End) S.N.S./M.A.A.
