G7 foreign ministers call on Iran to stop arming the Houthis
G7 foreign ministers meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York have called on Iran to end its arming and support of the Houthis, condemning continued Houthi strikes in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia.
Foreign ministers of the G7 nations have called on Iran to end its arming and support of the Houthis in Yemen, warning of a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks undermining international trade and creating global instability.
The ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States issued the appeal after meeting on Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Reuters reported.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ministers said in a joint statement.
“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.”
The appeal follows a major Houthi advance along Yemen’s western coast, including the capture of Mokha and strategic islands that give the group effective control of the Bab Al Mandeb strait, The National reported. The waterway has grown more important for Saudi energy exports after Iran restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, making it a potential alternative route for Gulf oil reaching global markets.
Iran has provided the Houthis with weapons, funding, training and technical support, though Tehran denies directly directing their operations, The National reported.
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