Iran must stop arming Yemen's Houthi forces, G7 say

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In a joint statement ahead of the United Nations general assembly, the foreign ministers of the group of seven industrialised nations said Iran must end its arming of and support for them.

The statement also condemned “in the strongest terms” the attacks by Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia, adding that the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen represented a threat to regional and global energy security.

Thousands of refugees have been forced to flee Yemen in recent days after the Houthis seized territory along the country’s Red Sea coastline, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping route for global trade.

The statement comes ahead of the annual UN general assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak.

The statement from the foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, said: “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.

“Their reprehensible actions constitute a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks further exacerbating the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability.

“Looking forward, we will continue to support the legitimate government of Yemen and reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen.”

The UN estimates that more than 120,000 Yemenis have been displaced by the recent surge in fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, which has seen major gains for the Houthi forces.

The Houthis, who had already seized most of Yemen, took control of Bab al-Mandab, a narrow, maritime chokepoint where the southern Red Sea flows into the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.

Saudi Arabia has retaliated with hundreds of air strikes in the region.

The Houthis have also fired hundreds of drones and missiles at cities and infrastructure in south-western Saudi Arabia, including the capital city, Riyadh.

Offers of military support for Saudi Arabia have come from Britain and France.

Britain says it will provide “defensive air to air refuelling” support while the French government says it is ready to work on securing Saudi energy infrastructure via a “strictly defensive approach.”

But Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has so far failed to secure any military support from US President Donald Trump. 

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