New York, Sept 22. (dpa/GNA) – The Group of Seven (G7) leading democracies, has condemned attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia on Saudi Arabia and the group’s military actions in Yemen.
The escalation in Yemen poses an “unacceptable threat to regional stability and security, to global energy security” as well as to security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the G7 foreign ministers said in a joint statement on Monday. The G7 comprises Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The Houthis seized Yemen’s western coast, in a rapid offensive last week, giving the group access to the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait at the entrance to the Red Sea.
Saudi Arabia has also come under renewed attack from the militia since the latest escalation in the conflict. The importance of the Bab al-Mandab Strait has increased amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz, fuelling concerns over another potential bottleneck for international shipping.
The G7 called on the Houthis to “immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping.” It also urged Iran to “end its arming of and support for the Houthis” and expressed its “full solidarity” with Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The UN Security Council had previously condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia.
The Houthis seized the Yemeni capital Sana’a, and much of the country’s north in 2014, and now control large areas.
Saudi Arabia has fought the group for more than a decade alongside Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and leads a military coalition supporting the government.
GNA