Iran must stop arming Houthis in Yemen, G7 says ahead of UN General Assembly

Iran must halt arming Houthis in Yemen, G7 says before UN General Assembly

Iran must “end its arming of and support” for the Houthis in Yemen, the foreign ministers of G7 nations said in a joint statement.

The G7 also condemned “in the strongest terms” Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen posed a threat to regional and global energy security.

Thousands of refugees have fled Yemen in recent days after the Iran-backed group took territory along the country’s Red Sea coast, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital shipping route for global trade.

The statement was released ahead of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak.

“We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith,” said the foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Their statement followed a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Meanwhile, at least six people were killed in Saudi strikes on the strategic Yemeni city of Mokha, AFP reported, citing Houthi-affiliated media.

Two children and a woman were among those killed, while eight others were wounded in the attack on the city, which the Houthis seized from pro-government forces earlier this month.

Saudi Arabia, which supports Yemen’s internationally recognised government, has not yet commented on the reported strikes.

The UN estimates that more than 120,000 Yemenis in total have been displaced by the sudden rise in fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Earlier this month, the Houthis, who had already taken most of Yemen’s populated areas, seized Bab al-Mandab, a narrow maritime chokepoint where the southern Red Sea meets the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.

Saudi Arabia has responded with hundreds of air strikes in the region.

The Houthis have also fired hundreds of drones and missiles at cities and infrastructure in south-western Saudi Arabia, including the capital, Riyadh.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the UK will provide “defensive air-to-air refuelling” support for Saudi Arabia, using a single British aircraft, a Voyager, based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Burnham said the announcement came after a request from Saudi Arabia for “military support”, which he agreed to on the advice of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also asked President Donald Trump for military support, US media reported.

Trump has hesitated for weeks over whether to respond to a Saudi request for help in fighting the Houthis, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The US president had earlier told Fox News that he was in “deciding mode” as he weighed options for the next steps in the war against Iran.

On Sunday, US embassies across the Middle East issued new security alerts as fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen intensified.