Gulf states at UN condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia as rebels seize key Yemen port

Six Gulf Cooperation Council countries urged the United Nations on Thursday to strongly condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, warning the ongoing assaults posed a direct threat to regional security. The rebels seized Yemen’s strategic Red Sea port city of Mokha, located about 80km from the Bab Al Mandeb strait, a crucial global trade route connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Bahrain’s UN ambassador, Jamal Alrowaiei, representing the six GCC members, stated during an emergency Security Council meeting that the attacks would escalate tensions and threaten stability in the region. The GCC also condemned the Houthi threats to maritime security and freedom of navigation, calling them a "blatant challenge" to the international community that endangered ships, crew members, and international trade.

Houthi forces secured control of Mokha on Thursday, according to both Houthi and Yemeni officials. UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, cautioned the Security Council that the country and region risked slipping back into prolonged war after four years of relative calm. Grundberg warned that the renewed conflict effectively marked the end of the four-year truce brokered by the UN and raised serious concerns over freedom of navigation.

He emphasized that Yemen cannot be ignored and that the international community must take a firm stance against the violations and hold accountable those responsible.