On Tuesday, foreign ministers of the Group of Seven called on Iran to stop arming and supporting the Houthi group in Yemen, saying that continued support constituted a “dangerous pattern of escalation” that could worsen the conflict, undermine international trade and increase global economic instability.
G7 statement condemns Iranian support
The group’s position came in a statement issued by the foreign ministers of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States after a meeting held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In the statement, the ministers said that “Iran’s reprehensible actions represent a dangerous pattern of escalation and threaten to worsen the conflict further”, describing those actions as a violation of UN Security Council resolutions.
G7 foreign ministers strongly condemned what they described as the “unacceptable attacks” carried out by the Houthis against Saudi Arabia, according to the available information. They said they “view the situation in Yemen as an unacceptable threat to stability and security in the region and to global energy security”.
The ministers called on the Houthi group to “immediately halt all military actions, threats and attacks against civilian vessels”, while urging the group to return to the political process “in good faith” in an effort to end the conflict in Yemen through political means.
Warnings over threats to shipping and energy security
The G7 statement comes amid growing international warnings about the repercussions of Houthi attacks on shipping in the region and the disruption they could cause to trade flows and energy security. Attacks on international shipping have faced repeated condemnation from the United Nations and a number of countries, along with calls for them to stop and for the political process to resume.
On the ground, renewed fighting has affected the humanitarian situation in Yemen. UN estimates indicate that tens of thousands of people have been displaced since the beginning of September, as the impact of the clashes on civilians in conflict areas has widened. More than 2,000 Yemenis crossed into Djibouti to escape the situation on the ground, while a fuel crisis is preventing more civilians from leaving areas witnessing fighting.
These humanitarian developments come alongside warnings that the conflict could widen and have regional and economic repercussions.
