G7 foreign ministers on Monday called on Iran to end its arming and support of Houthis in Yemen, which they said constituted a dangerous pattern of escalation that risked undermining international trade and creating global instability.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” the ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States said in a statement after a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“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,” they added.
The G7 statement comes ahead of the annual General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak.
On Monday, the United Nations condemned the continued cross-border attacks by the Houthis against the Kingdom, including an attempted attack on Riyadh and attacks on civilians and energy infrastructure, calling on all parties to exercise restraint and prevent any further escalation.
During a press briefing, spokesperson for the Secretary-General Stephane Dujarric expressed deep concern over the ongoing military escalation in and around Yemen, including Houthi offensives in Taiz, Lahj, and Marib, and their grave consequences for civilians in Yemen and across the region.
Dujarric stressed the need to uphold obligations under international humanitarian law, including the prohibition of direct attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.
