“We call for an immediate end to these unlawful attacks and the release of the illegally detained vessels and crews. The Houthis will take responsibility for the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of trade in key waterways of the US region”: This is said in a joint statement by the governments of the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium , Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
“The ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea – says the statement – are illegal, unacceptable and deeply destabilizing. There is no legal justification for deliberate attacks on civilian and military ships. Attacks on ships, including merchant vessels, with drones, small boats and missiles,” including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such ships, pose a direct threat to freedom of navigation, which is the basis of global commerce on a of the world's most critical waterways.” “These attacks,” it continues, “threaten innocent lives around the world and represent a significant international problem that requires collective action. Almost 15% of global maritime trade passes through the Red Sea, including 8% of global grain trade, 12% of sea-traded oil and 8% of global liquefied natural gas trade. International shipping companies continue to reroute their ships around the Cape of Good Hope, incurring significant costs and weeks of delays in the delivery of goods, ultimately endangering the transport of food, fuel and humanitarian aid around the world.”
“We remain committed to the rules-based international order and are committed to holding malicious actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks,” the statement concluded.
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