ERBIL () - The UN Security Council has called on Yemen’s Houthis to immediately halt their attacks and avoid further escalation, while stressing the need for dialogue and a political solution to the country’s long-running crisis.
The Security Council discussed the situation in Yemen and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world’s key maritime routes. In its concluding statement, the council urged the Houthis to stop their attacks and refrain from further escalating tensions.
The Security Council said on Friday, that the Houthis should halt attacks that result in harm to civilians.
It also called on all relevant parties to engage in efforts to open dialogue and find a political solution to the situation in Yemen.
Since July 2, Yemen’s Houthis have pursued what they describe as a policy of reciprocal blockade against Saudi Arabia. The group says it will prevent Saudi vessels from passing through the strait until the maritime, land, and air blockade imposed on Yemen since 2015 is lifted.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and ousted the internationally recognized government.
The group subsequently faced a Saudi-led coalition between 2015 and 2022, when a UN-mediated truce was declared. The conflict remained relatively quiet for a period before erupting again in July.
The Bab al-Mandab Strait is one of the world’s most important maritime routes, as a significant share of global oil and commercial goods passes through it.
The international community and the Security Council have held several meetings over the issue and repeatedly warned the Houthis, as continued tensions pose a major risk to stability in the Middle East and the global economy.
The Security Council’s call comes amid renewed tensions around Yemen and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, with the council emphasizing an immediate halt to attacks, protection of civilians, and the pursuit of a political solution to the conflict.
