UN envoy for Yemen ‘alarmed’ by Houthis’ Red Sea attacks, calls for talks

Hans Grundberg warns that further confrontation risks ‘deepening the suffering of the Yemeni people’.The United Nations envoy for Yemen has warned that renewed attacks by the Houthis on Red Sea shipping risk dragging the country back into full-scale war.Hans Grundberg said in a statement on Thursday that he was “alarmed” by the resumption of attacks by the Houthis, known as Ansar Allah, on commercial vessels, and called for talks to resolve the country’s crisis.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Yemen faces a new challenge amid prospects of confrontationlist 2 of 3US-Saudi nuclear deal hinges on normalisation with Israellist 3 of 3How the Houthi Red Sea blockade will impact the worldend of list“Escalatory actions risk putting Yemen on a path toward further confrontation, drawing the country deeper into an already volatile regional environment, and deepening the suffering of the Yemeni people,” Grundberg said.“It is still possible to change course and move towards negotiations that address Yemen’s political, economic and security challenges and put the interests of its people at the centre. A negotiated political settlement in Yemen would also contribute to greater stability in the region.”The war in Yemen has been largely paused since 2022, but the political deadlock between the Houthis, who control the capital, Sanaa, and the internationally recognised government continue.The Houthis said on Wednesday that they struck two Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, with missiles and drones, their first attack since announcing a blockade of Saudi-linked shipping on July 20.Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the vessels were hit “for their violation of the blockade decision issued by the armed forces”.The Houthis had imposed the blockade in retaliation for the July 13 bombing of Sanaa airport’s runway, which Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it carried out to stop an Iranian aircraft landing. The Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia, the government’s main backer.