UN Security Council condemns Yemen's youth movement for escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia

The United Nations Security Council on the 25th condemned the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen for their escalating attacks on U.S. ally Saudi Arabia. This was a rare unity in the Security Council, which has always been divided.

The "Youth Movement" has imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, attacked Saudi oil tankers and territory, and also controlled large areas of Yemen's Red Sea coast, which is important for Saudi oil exports, causing energy prices to rise.

Jerome Bonnafont, the rotating president of the Security Council and French Ambassador to the United Nations, read out a joint statement of the Security Council: "Members of the Security Council condemn in the strongest terms the continued attacks by the Youth Movement against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including attacks that affect civilians and energy infrastructure and result in injuries to civilians, including women and children."

The Security Council "further emphasized the importance of complying with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and safeguarding the rights and freedoms of navigation" and "demanded that the "Youth Movement" immediately cease its military escalation and its attacks affecting civilians and civilian targets."

The youth movement's successful offensive in recent weeks has consolidated control of Iran and its allies over two key waterways that carry oil and other fuel products across the vast Persian Gulf region, including major crude exporter Saudi Arabia.

Washington and its allies, including Saudi Arabia, accused Iran of supporting the "youth movement", but Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian denied the accusation on the 24th and said that the "youth movement" should be responsible for its own actions.