UN Security Council Condemns Houthi Attack on Southern Saudi Arabia

Houthis took advantage of the ceasefire to enhance their military capabilities, with Iran's support (Reuters)
Houthis took advantage of the ceasefire to enhance their military capabilities, with Iran's support (Reuters)
TT

UN Security Council Condemns Houthi Attack on Southern Saudi Arabia

Houthis took advantage of the ceasefire to enhance their military capabilities, with Iran's support (Reuters)
Houthis took advantage of the ceasefire to enhance their military capabilities, with Iran's support (Reuters)

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemned the recent Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's southern border that left four Bahraini servicemen from the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen dead.

The Council warned in a statement Friday that the attack constituted a "serious threat to the peace process and regional stability."

It urged the Houthis to cease their "terrorist attacks" and expressed concern over the targeting of infrastructure in cities near the Saudi border.

The Council's members reiterated their apprehension about the impact of these actions on the broader area.

The statement urged all parties to honor their international and humanitarian law commitments.

The 15-member Council emphasized the importance of taking decisive steps towards a permanent ceasefire.

They expressed their support for efforts to achieve a political solution in Yemen that would alleviate suffering, endorsing the endeavors of the UN Envoy to Yemen to find a resolution to the ongoing conflict in the country.

Saudi Arabia and Oman are leading initiatives to persuade the Houthis to agree to a renewed truce in Yemen, expanding the ceasefire to include humanitarian issues and concluding with a roadmap to end the conflict.

Meanwhile, the US Treasury Department announced Thursday new sanctions against entities providing Iran with engines used to manufacture drones.

The sanctions included a Chinese company that supplied servomotors worth more than a hundred thousand dollars to the Houthis in Yemen.

Yemeni political and military observers believe the Houthis are not genuinely committed to reaching a peace agreement that would end the war, as they seem to be preparing for another round of conflict after receiving more weapons.

During a meeting in Riyadh, Yemen Armed Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Sagheer bin Aziz asserted to the US Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, that Iran continues to supply its Houthi militias with advanced weaponry.

During the discussions, bin Aziz highlighted the Houthi threats to the security of Yemen, the region, and international navigation.

According to Saba news agency, he further touched upon the implications these groups have on counter-terrorism efforts.

The official noted that Yemen's experiences with peace talks with the Houthi militia have been bitter at various stages, indicating that the militia adheres to a doctrine of violence and racial discrimination and consistently violates agreements.

The Armed Forces Chief accused the Houthis of persisting with hostile operations against cities, public facilities, military positions, and resistance forces despite the UN-sponsored ceasefire.



Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: 260,000 Pagers Exported in Two Years

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Taiwan’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia: 260,000 Pagers Exported in Two Years

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Taiwan is investigating who is responsible for modifying the pagers that were turned into explosives in the hands of the Lebanese people, including members of Hezbollah.

Taiwan’s representative to Saudi Arabia Samee Chang told Asharq Al-Awsat that 260,000 pagers were exported from his country between 2022 and 2024, and 16 percent of them were sent to the United States and Europe.

He expressed his regret that the pagers were planted with explosives that were used in the attack in Lebanon last month, clarifying that the devices were not directly exported from Taiwan to Lebanon.

He explained that the components of the device are made of material that is not liable to explode.

Apollo Gold, the Taiwanese company that exported the pagers between 2022 and 2024, has never received any complaints that its devices have caused harm or exploded.

The attack in Lebanon has raised several questions and they are being probed by authorities in Taiwan, he went on to say.

One thing is for certain, the devices were not harmful in the shape they were exported from the country, stressed Chang.

Asked about whether the attack may harm Taiwan’s economy, he replied that his country’s industry sector has a strong reputation that will be difficult to undermine given the trust it has from clients.

The size of the sector and Taiwan’s investments cannot be measured by a small number of pagers, as they only make up a mere fraction in the country’s trade relations with countries all over the world, he stressed.

Separately, Chang revealed that Taiwan was considering cooperation with Saudi Arabia in the chip industry, saying he was optimistic over the broad potential for cooperation in the technology sector.

There are no limits to the cooperation between them, he added.

Taiwan constantly wants to maintain the relations and discuss opportunities for joint investments, he stated.

Taiwan was among the first countries to leap to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in all fields to help the Kingdom achieve its Vision 2030 that is spearheaded by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Chang said.