The United Nations and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemned on Saturday the terrorist Houthi militia's attacks on Saudi Arabia, its targeting of civilian objects, and their dangerous impact on regional security and stability.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and GCC Secretary-General Jasem AlBudaiwi exchanged views on the latest regional developments during their meeting on Saturday on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
The two sides discussed several regional issues and the efforts exerted toward them. Guterres praised the development, progress, and prosperity achieved by the Gulf states, as well as their regional and international efforts to promote security and stability.
Guterres and AlBudaiwi reviewed issues of mutual interest, as well as cooperation relations between the GCC and the UN, and ways to boost and consolidate them to serve shared interests.
The UN Security Council had warned of the consequences of the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the threats posed to international navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, considering that the militia's military actions in Yemen, alongside its targeting of Saudi territory and commercial shipping, threaten to expand the regional conflict, undermine maritime security and international trade, and hinder regional and international efforts aimed at achieving peace in Yemen.
In a statement on Friday night, the Council members strongly condemned in the strongest terms the ongoing attacks launched by the Houthis on Saudi Arabia, including those that caused damage to civilians and energy infrastructure, and resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children.
The Council stressed the importance of maintaining the safety of commercial vessels and their crews, the necessity of adhering to international law, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and respecting navigational rights and freedoms, at a time when military developments in Yemen raise concerns regarding the security of sea lanes and the movement of international trade.
The Council expressed its solidarity with Saudi Arabia in confronting attacks that affect civilians and civilian objects on its territory, affirming its inherent right to self-defense in accordance with international law.
The Council members demanded that the Houthis immediately cease their attacks affecting civilians and civilian objects, expressing their grave concern over reports regarding the killing and injuring of civilians, as well as the destruction of civilian objects and infrastructure resulting from these attacks
