UN Security Council Warns Houthi Attacks Risk Further Expanding Conflict

The U.N. Security Council has warned that recent military escalation, attacks and threats by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen “risk further expanding the conflict, threatening maritime security and international trade.”

In a statement, the council’s 15 members called for “practical cooperation” to prevent the Houthis from obtaining weapons, military training, financing and other forms of military assistance that could enable them to carry out further attacks.

The Houthis have launched attacks targeting Saudi Arabia as well as areas of Yemen near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategically important maritime route connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The Security Council’s warning came as Saudi Arabia reported a “hostile aerial threat” and issued a series of emergency alerts across the kingdom, including in the capital Riyadh, late Friday and early Saturday, according to The Associated Press.

No casualties were reported after the alerts were lifted. However, Reuters published an image showing smoke rising from a fuel storage depot at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh.

Saudi authorities did not immediately disclose what triggered the emergency alerts or explain the cause of the audible explosions reported during the incident. The kingdom has previously said that its air defenses intercepted incoming Houthi missiles and drones.

The latest escalation has raised renewed concerns about the potential impact of Houthi attacks on regional security and commercial shipping through the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.