1 week ago
G7 Urges Iran to Stop Arming Yemen’s Houthis
The Group of Seven countries told Iran to stop helping the Houthis in Yemen.
They also told the Houthis to stop attacking ships and to return to peace talks.
The G7 said the fighting could harm energy supplies and global trade.
The conflict is happening near the Red Sea, an important route for ships.
More than 120,000 people in Yemen have been forced to leave their homes.
Iran says it supports the Houthis politically but does not give them weapons.
A United Nations panel said the Houthis received equipment, help, and training from Iran and other specialists.
Britain and France said they would help defend Saudi Arabia’s energy facilities.
Saudi Arabia has carried out airstrikes in areas controlled by the Houthis.
G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming and support for the Houthis.
The ministers condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and attacks against civilian shipping.
The G7 said fighting near Yemen’s Red Sea coast threatens regional and global energy security.
The United Nations estimates that more than 120,000 Yemenis have been displaced by the recent fighting.
Iran denies supplying weapons, while a 2024 UN expert panel reported Iranian and allied military assistance to the Houthis.
- Who
- G7 foreign ministers, Iran, the Houthis, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen’s pro-government forces are involved.
- What
- The G7 demanded that Iran stop arming and supporting the Houthis and called for an end to Houthi military actions.
- Where
- The dispute concerns Yemen, especially its Red Sea coast, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and nearby Saudi Arabia; the UN General Assembly is in New York.
- When
- The statement was issued ahead of the annual United Nations General Assembly, after a G7 meeting on its sidelines.
- Why
- The G7 said the escalation threatens civilians, international trade, regional and global energy security, and Yemen’s political process.
G7, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen’s Pro-Government Forces
Iran and the Houthis
Iranian support for the Houthis
G7, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen’s Pro-Government Forces
The G7 says Iran must end its arming and support of the Houthis; Western naval forces and a 2024 UN panel are cited as evidence of Iranian-linked weapons and military assistance.
Iran and the Houthis
Iran says it supports the Houthis politically and denies supplying weapons in violation of the UN embargo.
Houthi military actions
G7, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen’s Pro-Government Forces
The G7 calls on the Houthis to stop attacks and threats against civilian shipping and to return to the political process.
Iran and the Houthis
The Houthis identify themselves as part of an Iranian-led axis of resistance against Israel, the United States, and the wider West.
Response to the escalation
G7, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen’s Pro-Government Forces
Saudi Arabia has carried out hundreds of airstrikes, while the United Kingdom and France have offered defensive support for Saudi security and energy infrastructure.
Iran and the Houthis
Houthi-affiliated media reported deaths from Saudi strikes on Mokha, a strategic port city controlled by the Houthis.
Key facts
- G7 members
- The United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States
- Displacement
- More than 120,000 Yemenis have been displaced by fighting along the Red Sea coast, according to the UN.
- Strategic location
- The Houthis seized territory near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a maritime chokepoint linking the southern Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
- Iran’s position
- Iran says it supports the Houthis politically and denies supplying weapons in violation of a UN embargo.
- UN expert assessment
- A 2024 panel said Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists provided materiel, assistance, and training that strengthened the Houthis.
- Western support
- The United Kingdom said it would provide defensive air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi Arabia, while France offered help to secure Saudi energy infrastructure.
- Reported casualties
- Houthi-affiliated media reported that at least six people were killed in Saudi strikes on Mokha.
Quotes
G7 foreign ministers
Foreign ministers from the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States
“Their reprehensible actions constitute a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks further exacerbating the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability”
wionews.com
“We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith”
wionews.com
Sources
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