UN Security Council Strongly Condemns Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, Affirms Right to Self-Defense

- Called for an immediate halt to military escalation and the protection of navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab... and stressed preventing the delivery of weapons to the Houthis.

Members of the UN Security Council strongly condemned the ongoing and escalating attacks carried out by Houthi militias against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including assaults targeting civilian aviation and energy infrastructure, which resulted in the deaths and injuries of civilians. They affirmed the Kingdom’s inherent right to self-defense under international law.

A statement issued by the President of the Security Council noted that these attacks included strikes on King Khalid International Airport on October 10 and 11, resulting in the deaths of 13 people and injuries to more than 300 others, as well as multiple attacks on other airports and facilities belonging to Saudi Aramco.

Council members expressed their deepest sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, wishing the injured a swift and full recovery.

They renewed their strong condemnation of the continued Houthi attacks and their threats to commercial navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab, emphasizing the necessity of ensuring the safety of commercial vessels and their crews.

Security Council members underscored the importance of the full implementation of Resolution 2216, adopted in 2015, and subsequent resolutions, calling for enhanced practical cooperation, including with the Yemeni government, to prevent the Houthis from obtaining weapons, related equipment, technical assistance, training, funding, and any other forms of support linked to military activities that enable them to launch further attacks.

They expressed their solidarity with Saudi Arabia in the face of attacks targeting civilians and civilian objects within its territory, reaffirming its inherent right to self-defense under international law.

Council members called on the Houthis to immediately cease military escalation and attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, while renewing their support for the Yemeni government and their firm commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.

They stressed that a sustainable peace in Yemen cannot be achieved through violence, coercion, or the use of force.

Security Council members renewed their support for the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and his efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement through negotiations, led by a fully Yemeni and national ownership process.