Guterres condemns Houthi attacks... and praises the progress and prosperity achieved by Gulf states
The United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned the terrorist Houthi militia’s attacks on Saudi Arabia, its targeting of civilian infrastructure, and the serious impact on regional security and stability. Meanwhile, the Coalition Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen announced that the Royal Saudi Air Defense Forces successfully intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile launched by the terrorist militia toward the city of Riyadh in the early hours of Saturday.
Coalition spokesperson Major General Turki Al-Maliki stated on Saturday evening that the Houthis’ escalation and their continued attempts to target civilians and civilian infrastructure in Riyadh, a city home to more than eight million citizens and residents, “confirm the intransigence of this militia and its deliberate and systematic targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in a terrorist and hostile manner.”
In a statement, he also emphasized “the inherent right of the Coalition leadership to take whatever measures it deems appropriate, in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules, to deter the terrorist Houthi militia’s behavior.”
In New York, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres exchanged views with GCC Secretary-General Jassim Al-Budaiwi on the latest regional developments during their meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The two sides discussed several regional files and the efforts being made to address them. Guterres praised the development, progress, and prosperity achieved by the Gulf states, as well as their regional and international efforts to enhance security and stability.
The UN Security Council had warned on Friday evening about the repercussions of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the threats to international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
In an exclusive interview with Al Arabiya, Guterres said that the Houthis’ attacks on Saudi Arabia are “completely unacceptable,” emphasizing his condemnation of such attacks.
He also stressed the necessity of respecting the rights and freedoms of navigation, particularly in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. He strongly condemned the Houthi attacks that may target Saudi vessels.
Al-Budaiwi, in a statement, condemned in the strongest terms the continued Houthi aggression against Saudi Arabia, affirming that the militia’s futile attempts to target civilians and infrastructure reveal its aggressive and treacherous approach and necessitate a firm international stance to deter these unacceptable attacks.
He reaffirmed the GCC and its member states’ united stand alongside Saudi Arabia, and their full support for all measures it takes to protect its security, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, noting that any targeting of Saudi Arabia is a targeting of the region’s security and stability.
Arab and Islamic states and institutions condemned the Houthi aggression against Saudi Arabia as a blatant violation of its sovereignty, a threat to its security, stability, and territorial integrity, and a flagrant breach of international law and the UN Charter. They affirmed their absolute solidarity with Riyadh and their support for all steps it takes to protect its security, stability, assets, and the safety of its citizens and residents.
