The United Nations has issued a warning against further escalation in the Middle East following renewed attacks by the Houthi armed movement on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep alarm over the resumption of these attacks this week, which pose renewed threats to maritime navigation.
The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah and backed by Iran, have threatened to blockade the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial shipping route to the Red Sea. They have been engaged in conflict with Yemeni Government forces, supported by a Saudi Arabia-led coalition, for over a decade. On Thursday, the Houthis claimed to have struck two Saudi oil tankers, according to media reports.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated, “The attack on commercial vessels, claimed by the Houthis, risks further heightening regional tensions and widening the current cycle of escalation with the potential to draw Yemen deeper into regional conflict.” He also warned that continued hostilities in Yemen could undermine peace prospects and cause serious economic, humanitarian, and environmental consequences across and beyond the region.
In response, Secretary-General Guterres called for immediate de-escalation and urged the Houthis, who control Yemen's capital and much of the west, to refrain from further attacks or escalatory actions. This call aligns with UN Security Council resolutions on attacks against commercial vessels and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
A ceasefire announced in April, which had been extended, collapsed this month amid violations around the Strait of Hormuz—a narrow waterway responsible for about a quarter of global sea trade, particularly oil and gas supplies. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at least 6,000 crew members on approximately 400 vessels remain stranded, unable to evacuate during the ceasefire. Shabia Mantoo, Spokesperson for the High Commissioner, noted that this figure is not exhaustive, with many others unaccounted for and believed to be stuck in the Persian Gulf on smaller vessels or otherwise unlocated.
The UN also warned against the risks to global shipping amid the intensifying US-Iran conflict over control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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