The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 11 approved a resolution condemning Yemen’s Houthi rebels for a series of attacks in the Red Sea that have significantly disrupted global trade.
The resolution, drawn up by Japan and the United States, calls for an immediate halt to the attacks while cautioning against further escalation. It was supported by 11 votes in favor and none against, with four abstentions: China, Russia, Algeria, and Mozambique.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, blamed Iran for backing the Houthis in a statement applauding the resolution.
“The resolution unequivocally demands that the Houthis cease their attacks and underscores the Council’s support for navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of all states in the Red Sea in accordance with international law,” she said.
Russia’s delegate, Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, spoke against the “dangerous side” of the resolution. He said the text shouldn’t create a precedent, asserting that “international law deals with freedom of navigation in peacetime, not in wartime.”
Resolution
The resolution implicitly endorses the U.S.-led task force that has been actively patrolling the Red Sea, defending vessels in the region.
On Jan. 9, U.S. and UK naval forces shot down 21 drones and missiles, the largest barrage to date launched by Houthis in the southern Red Sea.
Backed by Iran, the Houthis, who have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen since 2014, have said that they launched the attacks to stop Israel’s intense air-and-ground offensive in Gaza.
The attacks, described in the resolution as impeding global commerce and undermining navigational freedom, have continued since Nov. 19, 2023, with at least two dozen attacks specifically targeting merchant and commercial vessels.
It also called on the Houthis to release the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-operated ship linked to an Israeli businessman that the group commandeered in November 2023. The Security Council demanded the vessel’s 25-person crew be released.
Iran, as the main weapons supplier to the Houthis, is implicitly condemned in the resolution, which “urges caution and restraint to avoid further escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and the broader region.”
The text emphasizes the right of member states to defend their vessels in accordance with international law against attacks that undermine navigational rights and freedoms.
The resolution also underscores the need to “address the root causes” contributing to regional tensions and urges member states to support the capacity-building efforts of Yemen’s coast guard to safeguard the nation’s sovereignty and integrity.
In response to the attacks, many international shipping companies have diverted their vessels far south around the Cape of Good Hope, driving up costs and posing a threat to the global supply chain.
“The threat to navigational rights and freedoms in the Red Sea is a global challenge that necessitates a global response,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said.
The conflict in Gaza has heightened concerns about a broader regional war, with the narrow yet strategic Red Sea seen as a potential hotspot.
The Security Council also called for continued support for the U.N.-led peace process to end Yemen’s long-running civil conflict.
The Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the country, have expanded their targeting from Israel-bound vessels to all international shipping companies. Their actions have further heightened tensions in the region.
On Jan. 10, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken cautioned that “there will be consequences” for the ongoing Houthi attacks. The statement came during his diplomatic tour of the region aimed at easing tensions.
