Nissan to lay off thousands of workers as sales drop    Trump picks Susan Wiles as White House chief of staff    Three charged in connection with Liam Payne's death    Israel passes law to deport relatives of attackers, including citizens    Monkey mayhem in South Carolina after 43 primates escape research facility    Russian anti-war teenager faces five years in jail after failed appeal    Uproar in Ghana after president unveils his own statue    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



UN Security Council demands Houthis halt Red Sea attacks as US and UK warn of strikes
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 11 - 01 - 2024

The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday approved a resolution calling on Yemen's Houthi rebel group to "cease its brazen" attacks in the Red Sea, as the United States and Britain hinted at military strikes.
The warnings come as the Iran-backed militants continue a weeks-long campaign to launch drones and missiles at vessels in the commercially vital shipping lane, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.
The UN Security Council vote was 11 in favor, 0 against, and four abstentions, including Russia and China.
Earlier Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned "there will be consequences" for the continued Houthi attacks, as he makes a diplomatic tour of the region to try to cool tensions.
The US and other nations have a number of ships in the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, a multinational effort consisting of more than 20 countries to safeguard shipping in one of the world's most critical waterways.
US Navy warships have shot down many of the Houthi projectiles in recent weeks, including a particularly sustained barrage of attacks on Tuesday.
The war in Gaza has fueled fears of a wider regional conflict – with the narrow but vital Red Sea a potential flashpoint.
The UN resolution condemned some two dozen Houthi attacks on merchant vessels since November 19, when the Houthis attacked and seized the commercial vessel, Galaxy Leader.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield blamed Iran for helping the Houthis, emphasizing that the resolution demands the group stop violating international law.
"The United States applauds today's adoption by the United Nations Security Council of a resolution co-penned by the United States and Japan condemning Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea," she said in a statement Wednesday.
"The resolution unequivocally demands that the Houthis cease their attacks and underscores the Council's support for navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of all States in the Red Sea in accordance with international law."
The Houthis have said they will only relent when Israel allows the entry of food and medicine into Gaza; the group's strikes could be intended to inflict economic pain on Israel's allies in the hope they will pressure it to cease its bombardment of the enclave.
Responding to the UN vote, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, member of the Supreme Political Council and former head of Yemen's Houthi Supreme Revolutionary Committee, said the group's actions were justified.
He argued that what "the Yemeni armed forces are doing comes within the framework of legitimate defense," and that along with Israel, the US and Britain are violating international law in their response to the war in Gaza.
The besieged Palestinian coastal enclave has been enveloped by a humanitarian crisis since the outbreak of war more than three months ago. More than 23,000 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in the strip since October 7, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza.
The ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but both the ministry in Gaza and its counterpart in the occupied West Bank suggest that approximately 70% of those killed or injured are women and children.
The US has repeatedly urged Israel to protect civilians as it targets Hamas, but in December abstained from a UN Security Council vote calling for humanitarian pauses in the war because it did not include a condemnation of the Islamist militant group.
There have been at least 26 Houthi attacks since November 19, threatening the global economy by preventing shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal to the north.
US Navy helicopters sank three Houthi boats in the Red Sea after coming under fire on December 31 as they aided a commercial ship, the Maersk Hangzhou. The crews of the Houthi boats were killed.
The passing of the UN resolution also comes after the US and British navies shot down 21 Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen on Tuesday, according to a statement from US Central Command, in one of the largest Houthi attacks to take place in the Red Sea in recent months.
A Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said Tuesday's attack was a "coordinated offensive" targeting an American ship "aiding" Israel in the Red Sea and was in response to a "treacherous attack" by US forces on Houthi naval units on last week.
Three US guided-missile destroyers and F/A-18 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower took part in the combined effort to shoot down the missiles and drones Tuesday, according to US Central Command.
An air defense destroyer from the UK's Royal Navy, the HMS Diamond, was also involved, according to British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, who warned that "we will take the action needed to protect innocent lives and the global economy."
"The UK alongside allies have previously made clear that these illegal attacks are completely unacceptable, and if continued the Houthis will bear the consequences," Shapps said. — CNN


Clic here to read the story from its source.