Monitoring with ‘great concern’: Saudi Arabia reacts to US air strikes in Yemen

The military action by the US and the UK was aimed at preventing Houthi rebels from carrying out attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

Yemen's neighbour Saudi Arabia has urged for restraint after the United States and Britain launched airstrikes at sites linked to the Houthi movement in Yemen, reported news agency Reuters.

In this image provided by the UK Ministry of Defence taken on Thursday Jan. 11, 2024 shows an RAF Typhoon aircraft taking off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, for a mission to strike targets in Yemen. The US and British militaries bombed more than a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen late on Thursday. (AP)

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry stated that they were closely monitoring the situation with "great concern". Notably, the country has been engaging in peace talks with Yemen's Houthis.

"The kingdom emphasizes the importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea region, as the freedom of navigation in it is an international demand," the ministry added.

On Friday, US President Joe Biden confirmed that the US and the UK military conducted strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands. He highlighted that the military action is aimed at preventing Houthi rebels from carrying out hijacks, attacks etc. in the Red Sea region. Notably, the rebels have been adversely affecting navigation of ships in the Red Sea.

“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” Biden said in a statement.

Why Houthis have been attacking ships in the Red Sea

Yemen's Houthi militants which control much of the country are supporting Gaza's Hamas group in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. In its bid to affect shipments to Israel, the group has been attacking vessels linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports.

Due to Houthi's terrorist attacks using drones, missiles etc., shipping operations of several commercial companies have been adversely affected in the Red Sea.

US president Biden claimed that over 50 countries have been affected by 27 attacks on international commercial shipping in the Red Sea. More than 2000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the region, resulting in significant delays in product shipping times.