ABU DHABI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has strongly condemned recent statements by Yemen’s Houthi militia targeting Saudi Arabia, including threats to impose a maritime blockade, reaffirming its unwavering support for the Kingdom and calling for strict enforcement of international law.
In a statement issued early on Wednesday, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the Houthi rhetoric and urged the international community to ensure full implementation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution on Yemen, which upholds the rights and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
The ministry stressed that freedom of navigation through international waterways is a fundamental right protected under international law and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
It warned that any attempt to threaten maritime routes would undermine regional stability and international trade.
Reaffirming its solidarity with Saudi Arabia, the UAE said it fully supports all measures taken by the Kingdom to safeguard its national security, territorial integrity and stability.
The UAE’s statement comes amid growing regional concern over Houthi threats to international shipping lanes and follows a series of diplomatic efforts by Saudi Arabia to rally international support.
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On Tuesday, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate telephone conversations with his counterparts from Spain, Italy and Germany to discuss the Houthi threats to navigation in the Red Sea and broader efforts to ease escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia rejected claims made by a Houthi military spokesperson that the group had imposed a maritime blockade on the Kingdom.
Riyadh described the allegations as baseless and said that the Houthis were attempting to drag Yemen further into the wider regional conflict.
The Saudi Foreign Ministry also highlighted the Kingdom’s continued humanitarian and economic support for Yemen, noting that it has worked alongside the internationally recognised Yemeni government to ease the suffering of the Yemeni people through development projects, budgetary assistance and fuel supplies to operate electricity generation facilities.
