Yemen UN envoy warns Security Council of regional escalation amid Iran-backed Houthi attacks

Yemen is confronting its most significant risk of renewed war since 2022, as intensified fighting between Iran-backed Houthis and the Saudi-supported Yemeni army escalates, UN envoy Hans Grundberg warned the Security Council. Attacks targeting Red Sea shipping also threaten further regional escalation, Grundberg stated.

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Yemen faces its greatest risk of renewed war since 2022 as fighting intensifies between the Iran-backed Houthis and Yemen’s Saudi-supported army and attacks on Red Sea shipping threaten further regional escalation.

The envoy reported that Houthi attacks in Marib, Hadramaut, Mokha, and other areas have resulted in both military and civilian casualties. He cautioned that renewed Houthi assaults on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden could pull Yemen deeper into the broader regional conflict. Grundberg urged all parties to de-escalate immediately and pursue a lasting ceasefire, emphasizing the need to end attacks and threats against shipping and cross-border incursions.

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Grundberg said Houthi attacks in Marib, Hadramaut, Mokha and other areas have resulted in military and civilian casualties.

Grundberg stressed that a negotiated "off-ramp" remains a possibility and called upon influential countries to help guide the parties back to negotiations. This warning comes amid a severe humanitarian crisis in Yemen, where UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher informed the council that over half the population suffers from acute food insecurity, with approximately 6 million people nearing famine conditions. Fletcher and Grundberg jointly appealed for the release of 73 UN personnel detained by the Houthis, along with workers from NGOs, civil society, and diplomatic missions.

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He also warned that renewed Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden could pull Yemen deeper into regional conflict.

Progress on freeing conflict-related detainees has been limited. Grundberg noted that preparations for releasing over 1,600 detainees, based on a May agreement, are proceeding slowly and risk disruption from the current escalation. Adding to the regional tensions, the Houthis announced a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia on July 20, claiming it was a response to a Saudi siege of Yemen, a claim Riyadh denies. In response, a Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes against what it described as Houthi military facilities in the port city of Hodeidah, stating these sites were linked to threats against commercial shipping.

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Grundberg said a negotiated "off-ramp" remained possible and called on countries with influence over the parties to help return them to negotiations.