UN Security Council demands end to Red Sea attacks, calls for restraint

UNITED NATIONS, March 18 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Monday demanded an end to attacks on vessels at the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi militia and calls for restraint in order to avoid further escalation of the situation.

In a press statement, the members of the Security Council condemned Houthi attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and demanded an immediate end to such attacks.

They called for practical cooperation, including with the Yemeni government, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring the arms and related materiel necessary to carry out further attacks and reiterated that all UN member states must adhere to their obligations in regards to the targeted arms embargo.

The council members reaffirmed that the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms by merchant and commercial vessels of all states transiting the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, in accordance with international law, must be respected. They recalled the importance of enhancing international and regional cooperation to counter threats to peace and security in the region and called for de-escalation in the Red Sea to preserve the peace process in Yemen.

The council members further called for continued international involvement in close cooperation with the United Nations and coastal states, as well as with regional and subregional organizations to prevent further escalation with possible multidimensional consequences.

They emphasized the need to prevent further regional spillover of the conflict and its impact on the security and the stability of the region and beyond, and in this regard, reiterated the necessity to address the root causes contributing to regional tensions and to the disruption of maritime security in order to ensure a prompt, efficient, and effective response.

The council members urged caution and restraint to avoid further escalation of the situation in the Red Sea and the broader region, and encouraged enhanced diplomatic efforts by all parties to that end, including continued support for dialogue and Yemen's peace process under UN auspices.