Saudi Arabia told the UN Security Council that claims by the Houthi militia that Yemeni ports and airports are under blockade are “part of a campaign of misinformation,” while renewing its call for the international community to enforce Security Council resolutions on Yemen and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.

Faisal Meshari T. Almadi, minister plenipotentiary and head of the Security Council and Political Affairs Division at Saudi Arabia’s mission to the UN, made the remarks during a Security Council session on the peaceful settlement of disputes. The meeting was convened by the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Almadi said the session was being held “at a time when the entire world is experiencing rapidly evolving challenges and growing tensions that have cast a shadow over regional and international security and stability.”

He said recent developments in the Middle East, including “the closure of major crossings and straits involved in supplying the world with energy, goods and essential resources,” showed the need to strengthen dialogue, diplomacy and “updated mechanisms for international mediation” that reflect current realities.

Saudi Arabia considers dialogue, mediation and preventive diplomacy to be essential tools for preventing, containing and resolving conflicts, Almadi said. He added that building trust between parties to disputes, addressing the root causes of tensions, and respecting state sovereignty and territorial integrity are “indispensable pillars for achieving sustainable peace in the region.”

He also pointed to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 national development and diversification plan as evidence of Saudi Arabia’s belief that “development and innovation and the creation of opportunities represent the best path toward stability and avoiding conflict.”

Almadi restated Saudi Arabia’s position that peace must be established in Yemen and that the suffering of “the brotherly Yemeni people” must end. He said the Kingdom had supported all UN-led peace efforts since the start of the crisis in Yemen, including a road map approved by the Yemeni government.

According to Almadi, the Houthis rejected that road map and instead became “embroiled in a regional conflict to advance its malicious agenda,” worsening the hardship faced by Yemeni citizens living under their control.

He urged the international community to enforce Security Council resolutions, “primarily Resolution 2216 on Yemen and Resolution 2722 concerning the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.” Resolution 2216, adopted in 2015, imposed an arms embargo on the Houthis and sanctions on individuals obstructing Yemen's political transition. Resolution 2722, adopted in January 2024, condemned Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and demanded the militia cease all such assaults.

Almadi said the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen’s Joint Forces Command had announced that it would take “all necessary operational decisive measures,” in line with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to protect international shipping through the Bab Al-Mandab Strait. The strait is one of the world's most consequential maritime chokepoints, linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and carrying a substantial share of global seaborne trade between Europe and Asia.

He rejected Houthi assertions that Yemeni ports and airports had been closed, describing the militia’s blockade narrative as “misleading,” “false” and unsupported by facts. More than 300 commercial vessels carrying food, goods, fuel and construction materials entered the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa in the first half of this year, he said.

Almadi also said the Houthis had rejected all initiatives to resume flights to and from Sanaa airport, including the most recent proposal from Jordan.

He added that Houthi actions had resulted in the closure of Sanaa International Airport and the destruction of a Yemenia aircraft. At the same time, coalition forces had begun implementing measures intended to protect vessels transiting the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.

Almadi described Houthi threats against shipping as clear violations of international law that “qualify as maritime piracy.” He warned that allowing such attacks to continue without deterrent measures would encourage further violations, undermine regional stability, and threaten the principle of freedom of maritime navigation as a pillar of the international order.

He called on the international community to condemn the Houthis for targeting commercial vessels and to take all necessary steps to prevent additional violations.

Almadi said Saudi Arabia renewed its commitment to supporting international efforts to strengthen peace and security, and to working with the UN as well as regional and international partners “to build a Middle East that is more secure, stable and prosperous.”

Source: Arab News