Arab Coalition Says Piracy Launched from Any Port Makes it Legitimate Target

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Arab Coalition Says Piracy Launched from Any Port Makes it Legitimate Target

Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Coalition spokesman Brigadier General Turki al-Malki. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi-led Arab coalition said on Tuesday that the launch of acts of piracy and hijacking from any sea port make the facility a legitimate military target.

Coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the Iran-backed Houthi militias hijacked on Sunday the UAE-flagged Rwabee ship off Yemen's coast of Hodeidah in a criminal act that was pre-planned.

The militias hijacked the vessel by force and have taken it to the al-Salif port in Hodeidah, he added.

The hijacking is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian and marine laws, he continued.

The Rwabee was carrying medical equipment from a Saudi field hospital that completed its functions on Socotra island.

Malki cited international treaties and agreements, including the San Remo Manual on International Law Applicable to Armed Conflicts at Sea, that safeguard freedom of navigation and trade in international waters.

These agreements do not offer safe haven to pirates, he declared. Such terrorist acts undermine the safety of international waterways and are a direct threat to navigation and global trade.

Moreover, the hijacking is a violation of the 2018 Stockholm agreement on Hodeidah, he said, revealing that the Houthis have deliberately committed over 30,527 violations of the deal.

Malki demanded that the Houthis to release the Rwabee and its entire humanitarian non-combat cargo.

Should they refuse to comply, then all ports from which acts of piracy and hijacking are launched will be legitimate military targets in line with international humanitarian and relevant marine laws, he said.



Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Support for Afghanistan’s Security and Stability

Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)
Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Reaffirms Support for Afghanistan’s Security and Stability

Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)
Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (SPA)

Saudi Arabia reaffirmed its unwavering support for Afghanistan’s security and stability on Tuesday, calling for respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while voicing deep concern over the humanitarian and economic challenges facing the Afghan people.

In an address before the UN General Assembly during a session on the situation in Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, urged the international community to intensify efforts to deliver urgent humanitarian aid, alleviate suffering, and safeguard the rights of women and girls.

“The Kingdom stresses the importance of empowering Afghan women and enhancing their rights to education, work and participation in public life,” Al-Wasil told the gathering, citing the outcomes of the recent “Conference on the Status of Women in Islam,” hosted in Jeddah.

He also highlighted the humanitarian support extended by Saudi Arabia through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center, underscoring the Kingdom’s commitment to addressing Afghanistan’s ongoing crises.

Al-Wasil warned against allowing Afghan territory to become a safe haven for terrorism or a hub for narcotics trafficking, which he said would pose a serious threat to regional and global security.

The Saudi envoy reaffirmed Riyadh’s commitment to supporting political, humanitarian and development initiatives aimed at achieving lasting stability in Afghanistan.