Saudi-led coalition destroys explosives-laden Al Houthi boat in Red Sea: State TV

Dubai: The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-aligned Al Houthi forces in Yemen said it had destroyed a small Al Houthi boat in the south of the Red Sea that was loaded with explosives, Saudi state television reported on Friday.

The coalition added that the boat had departed Yemen's main Red Sea port of Hodeidah.

In a statement carried by SPA, the Arab Coalition said: “The Houthi’s use of Hodeidah port threatens freedom of navigation and global trade.”

On Wednesday, the UAE called for an end to the appeasement of the Houthi terrorist group in Yemen during the Security Council briefing.

The Council was briefed by Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen; Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator; and Major General (retd) Michael Beary, Head of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA) and Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, on recent developments in the country.

“Over the past months, we have heard numerous briefings, including from Mr. Grundberg, calling on us to give him opportunities for his efforts to bring the Houthis back to the negotiating table. However, after UAE civilian infrastructure was subjected to terrorist attacks that claimed the lives of innocent civilians, we can only ask, when will the appeasement of this terrorist group end?” said Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.

“The UAE reaffirms its sovereign right to take all the measures necessary to protect the security and stability of its territory as well as the safety of its citizens and residents from any terrorist attacks in accordance with its obligations under international law. We reiterate that these Houthi terrorist attacks are flagrant violations of international law and have persisted despite the condemnation by the Security Council and more than 120 countries and international organisations,” she added.

Need to stop Al Houthis’ aggressive behaviour

Nusseibeh stressed the need to stop the Houthis’ aggressive behaviour, which will require the international community to take serious and decisive steps to exert strong pressure on the Houthis and their supporters and stop their attempts to control Yemeni territory by force.

Nusseibeh added: “This pressure begins with imposing further sanctions on them, cutting off the Houthis’ funding sources, as well as enforcing the targeted arms embargo imposed on Yemen by Security Council Resolution 2216 and imposing maritime interdiction and enhanced enforcement.”

In response to the Houthi militarisation of the port of Hodeidah, Nusseibeh called for a UN presence in the port to prevent the Houthis from using it as a weapons store and launch point for attacks that threaten the security of navigation and the countries of the region. Furthermore, as the Houthis have committed terrorist acts, they should be designated as a terrorist organisation by the international community.

She also noted that without clear international pressure, the Houthis have time and again refused to commit to any agreements or hold to their promises, as once again demonstrated by their blocking of a UN team from assessing the condition of the Safer oil tanker.

“The UAE maintains a firm position supporting a political track that reflects the situation on the ground in Yemen and addresses its challenges. The UAE also supports the resumption of political negotiations between Yemeni parties,” she added.