UK condemns renewed Houthi attacks, warns of threat to regional stability

Foreign Office says attacks threaten key shipping routes, regional security, vulnerable Yemenis

Britain on Thursday condemned renewed Houthi attacks in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia, warning that the escalation threatens regional stability and Red Sea shipping. The Foreign Office called on the Houthis to halt the attacks, including those targeting civilian and energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. "We offer our condolences to those injured and affected and stand with Saudi Arabia, the internationally recognised Government of Yemen, and our regional partners," the statement added. It said the Houthis bear “full responsibility for this crisis,” adding that the renewed conflict puts vulnerable Yemenis at risk and has deepened humanitarian suffering. The Foreign Office also pointed to the international dimension of the conflict. “Houthi attacks endanger wider regional stability, and freedom of navigation and vital trade routes through the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb,” it warned. It said Saudi Arabia and Yemen have the right to defend their security and sovereignty in accordance with international law. The statement comes amid Yemen’s broadest escalation since 2022, when a UN-sponsored truce was initiated before the peace process stalled and military confrontations resumed in July. Yemen's conflict began after the Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, and several provinces in September 2014, prompting a Saudi-led Arab coalition to intervene in March 2015 in support of the internationally recognized government.