UN warns Yemen at greatest risk of renewed major conflict since 2022 truce

The United Nations has warned that Yemen is now facing the greatest risk of a major renewed conflict since the UN-brokered truce in April 2022. This escalation comes after the Iran-aligned Houthis launched ballistic missiles and drones at displacement camps and residential neighborhoods in Marib on Friday, resulting in the deaths of two people and injuries to 14.

The Yemeni army responded to the attacks across multiple fronts but did not disclose the specifics of the operations. The heightened tensions mark a sharp increase following a period of relative calm, raising concerns of a broader conflict.

Saudi Arabia, which has been leading a military coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government since 2015, anticipates imminent coordinated attacks by the Houthis and Iraqi militias under Iranian supervision. Iran and its allies in Yemen and Iraq have not confirmed these claims. The Houthis also fired missiles and drones at Saudi-backed forces, depots, vehicles, and military equipment at Yemen's Sahn al-Jinn camp in Marib. However, Reuters was unable to independently verify these allegations.

UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, stated that the latest attacks, along with renewed assaults on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, have placed Yemen at its highest risk of a large-scale conflict since the 2022 truce. He urged all parties to show maximum restraint and engage in UN-led negotiations, warning that the violence could further entangle Yemen in a wider regional confrontation.

The UN Security Council expressed concern over the heightened tensions, stating that the recent actions threatened regional security, navigational rights and freedoms, and risked further escalation, undermining peace efforts. The council urged the Houthis to refrain from escalation and encouraged the use of existing dialogue channels to ease tensions.