Saudi Arabia Draws Red Line at UN: Yemen Cannot Become Houthi Attack Base
The Kingdom called on the Security Council to take effective action against Houthi attacks and prevent further threats to Saudi sovereignty, regional stability and international maritime security.
Saudi Arabia has warned the United Nations Security Council that it will not allow Yemen to become a launchpad for attacks against the Kingdom or a threat to international shipping in the Red Sea and the strategic Bab Al-Mandab Strait, following a series of deadly Houthi strikes on Saudi cities and critical infrastructure.
Addressing an emergency Security Council meeting on Friday, Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Abdulaziz Alwasil, reaffirmed the Kingdom’s right to defend its territory, citizens and vital installations against attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi militia.
“The Kingdom affirms that it will not allow Yemen to be turned into a staging ground for threats to its security or to the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait,” Alwasil told the council.
“Nor can it accept that a terrorist militia impose its will on Yemen and the region by force.”
His warning followed two attacks on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh that reportedly killed three Saudi nationals, including Saudia pilot Capt. Hamoud Ali Alkalthami, and injured several others.
The strikes targeted airport facilities and an aircraft belonging to the national carrier, causing damage and disrupting flight operations.
Alwasil condemned the attacks as a “blatant act of aggression” and warned that targeting civilian aviation infrastructure posed a serious threat to regional and international security.
Saudi Arabia Highlights Attacks on Makkah and Madinah
The Saudi ambassador told the Security Council that Houthi missile and drone attacks had intensified in recent weeks, targeting Riyadh, Abha, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Najran.
He specifically highlighted the September 15 attempted attack on Makkah and the September 29 strike on the Taiba electricity distribution station in Madinah.
Alwasil described the attacks targeting the Kingdom’s holy cities as provocations against Muslims worldwide.
According to Saudi aviation authorities, earlier attacks on airports in Abha and Riyadh on October 6 and 7 killed three civilians and injured 36 others.
The ambassador also warned that continued external military and technical assistance to the Houthis had strengthened their capabilities and contributed to instability across Yemen and the wider region.
Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Security Under Threat
Alwasil said the Houthi threat extended beyond Saudi territory to international maritime routes, commercial shipping and global energy supplies.
He warned that attacks in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait threatened freedom of navigation and international trade.
The strategic waterway connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and serves as a vital maritime passage between Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
His remarks come amid renewed fighting in Yemen, where Houthi forces have advanced along parts of the Red Sea coast while Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces have launched counteroffensives.
Saudi Arabia urged the Security Council to enforce relevant resolutions, including restrictions on arms supplies to the Houthis and measures protecting international navigation.
Riyadh Reaffirms Political Solution Despite Military Escalation
Despite the escalating attacks, Alwasil reiterated Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a negotiated settlement of the Yemen conflict.
“Saudi Arabia has always placed peace above all other options,” he said.
However, he accused the Houthis of rejecting diplomatic initiatives and pursuing military escalation that had obstructed efforts to reach a comprehensive political solution.
The ambassador also accused the militia of forcibly displacing civilians, using starvation as a weapon and recruiting children into armed conflict.
He reaffirmed Riyadh’s support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government and UN-led peace efforts, stressing that any settlement must preserve Yemen’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
Alwasil highlighted Saudi Arabia’s continuing economic assistance to Yemen, including a budget support payment exceeding SR224 million ($59.7 million) on October 4.
According to the ambassador, Saudi economic and development assistance to Yemen exceeded $12.6 billion between 2012 and 2026, alongside more than $4.5 billion in humanitarian support.
The Kingdom called on the Security Council to take effective action against Houthi attacks and prevent further threats to Saudi sovereignty, regional stability and international maritime security.
