Saudi Arabia told the UN Security Council that Houthi claims of a blockade on Yemeni ports and airports are false, framing them as part of a wider misinformation campaign amid renewed concerns over security in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
Faisal Meshari T. Almadi, minister plenipotentiary and head of the Security Council and Political Affairs Division at the Saudi mission to the UN, addressed the council during a session on the peaceful settlement of disputes. He said current international tensions show the need for stronger dialogue, diplomacy and updated mediation mechanisms.
The Saudi representative said the Kingdom continues to view mediation and preventive diplomacy as essential tools to contain disputes, build trust among parties and address the roots of conflict. He linked that approach to respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity and development as foundations for durable stability.
On Yemen, Almadi said Saudi Arabia had supported UN-led peace efforts and a road map approved by the Yemeni government. He said the Houthis rejected that process and had instead become involved in a broader regional confrontation, worsening conditions for civilians under their control.
Almadi urged the international community to enforce Security Council resolutions related to Yemen and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. He said the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen's Joint Forces Command had announced operational measures, in line with international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to protect shipping through Bab Al-Mandab.
He rejected the Houthi narrative of closed Yemeni ports and airports, saying more than 300 commercial vessels carrying food, goods, fuel and construction materials entered the ports of Hodeidah, Saleef and Ras Isa in the first half of the year. He also said the Houthis had refused initiatives to resume flights to and from Sanaa airport, including a Jordanian proposal.
Saudi Arabia described Houthi threats against maritime traffic as violations of international law that amount to piracy. Almadi warned that failure to deter further attacks would encourage escalation, undermine regional stability and weaken freedom of navigation as a principle of the international order.
