Saudi Arabia calls for “moderation” after US and UK bombings in Yemen
Saudi Arabia, a key US ally in the Middle East, today called for “restraint” following US and British bombings in Yemen in response to Houthi rebel attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the military operations in the Red Sea region and the air strikes against several locations in the Republic of Yemen,” the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling for “moderation and moderation” to avoid escalation. “
In the note, the ministry appealed to the importance of maintaining security and stability in the Red Sea region, while recalling that freedom of navigation “is an international requirement because it harms the interests of the entire world” and condemned it Houthi action against merchant ships.
However, he called for “moderation” in light of “the events that are occurring in the region,” citing the war in Gaza and the opening of new fronts therein.
As part of his tour of the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman on January 8 to discuss “efforts” being made to prevent war in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia, which has intervened in the Yemen war since 2015 on the orders of a military coalition and also borders the Arab country, has repeatedly warned about the possible opening of new fronts in the Gaza war while expressing concern about the Houthi attacks.
The United States, the United Kingdom and eight other countries said this Thursday that military action against Houthi rebel targets in several Yemeni provinces demonstrated their shared commitment to freedom of navigation.