Foreign ministers from the G7 nations issued a joint statement demanding that Iran cease providing military support to the Houthis in Yemen. The statement, released during meetings at the UN General Assembly, condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and characterized the group’s recent military escalation as a threat to regional security and global energy markets. Iran has previously denied supplying weapons to the Houthis, stating it provides only political support.
The escalation follows the Houthis’ recent seizure of territory along Yemen’s Red Sea coast, including the strategically important Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint. The territorial gains have triggered a humanitarian crisis, with more than 120,000 Yemenis displaced according to UN estimates. The G7 called on the Houthis to immediately halt military operations, cease threats against civilian shipping, and return to political negotiations.
In response, the Houthis accused Saudi Arabia of striking civilian targets, citing incidents that resulted in multiple casualties including children. The Houthis also reported an attack on a detention facility. Saudi Arabia’s coalition, which backs Yemen’s government, has not yet commented on these allegations, though it has conducted hundreds of air strikes in the region.
The conflict has drawn international military involvement, with the UK committing air refueling support for Saudi operations and France pledging defensive assistance to protect Saudi energy infrastructure. The US has indicated it is considering military support requests from Saudi Arabia. The violence has intensified since a four-year informal ceasefire began deteriorating in July, when the Houthis announced a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia and launched numerous missile and drone attacks on Saudi infrastructure.
Yemen’s civil war, which began in 2014 when Houthis ousted the government from the capital, has been further destabilized by the recent military escalation. UN expert panels have previously concluded that the Houthis have developed significant military capabilities through support from Iran’s Revolutionary Guards and other regional actors.
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