The UN Security Council on Tuesday authorized continued reporting on attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi militias, who have defied its previous demands to immediately halt all such attacks.
The vote in the 15-member council was 12-0 with Russia, China and Algeria abstaining because of attacks against Yemen in violation of its sovereignty, a clear reference to US airstrikes against the Houthis, The Associated Press reported. The Trump administration has carried out the strikes because of the group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, a crucial global trade route, and on close ally Israel.
The resolution, cosponsored by the United States and Greece, extends the requirement that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres provide monthly reports to the Security Council about Houthi attacks in the Red Sea until Jan. 15, 2026.
Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea said the resolution recognizes the need for continued vigilance “against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist threat.”
She cited the two latest attacks by Houthis against civilian cargo vessels, the MV Magic Seas and the MV Eternity C, which caused both vessels to sink and led to the loss of innocent seafarers and saw crew members taken hostage.
“The United States strongly condemns these unprovoked terrorist attacks, which demonstrate the threat that the Houthis pose to freedom of navigation and to regional economic and maritime security,” Shea said, reiterating the council’s demand for an immediate halt to Houthi attacks and the release of all crew members kidnapped from the Eternity C.
Greece’s UN Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris said the Houthi attacks have continued to fuel mistrust in the international maritime community, stressing that security and freedom of navigation are essential for the stability of global supply chains and economic development.
“If the Red Sea region — a critical international maritime route — becomes even more degraded, it will expose the international community to more acute security risks and economic uncertainty,” he warned.
