Yemen
Israeli military says it launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen
The Israeli military said it attacked Houthi targets in the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, and Ras Qantib power plant in Yemen on Monday.
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the kingdom was "very worried" that tensions in the Red Sea amid attacks by Yemen's Houthis and U.S. strikes on Houthi targets could spiral out of control and escalate the conflict in the region.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, NTB/Stian Lysberg Solum via Reuters
Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said the kingdom was "very worried" that tensions in the Red Sea amid attacks by Yemen's Houthis and U.S. strikes on Houthi targets could spiral out of control and escalate the conflict in the region.
"I mean, of course, we are very worried. I mean, you know, we are in a very difficult and dangerous time in the region, and that's why we are calling for de-escalation," Prince Faisal bin Farhan told CNN 'Fareed Zakaria GPS' in an interview that will be aired on Sunday.
Attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea for the past several weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers in an escalation of the war in Gaza.
The Saudi foreign minister said the kingdom believed in freedom of navigation and wanted tensions in the region to be de-escalated.
"We of course, believe very much in the freedom of navigation. And that's something that needs to be protected. But we also need to protect the security and stability of the region. So we are very focused on de-escalating the situation as much as possible," he told CNN.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza.
Since last week, the United States has been launching strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, and this week returned the militia to a list of "terrorist" groups. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that air strikes would continue even as he acknowledged they may not be halting the Houthi attacks.
The confrontation risks an expansion of the conflict beyond Hamas-governed Gaza, where the local health ministry says over 24,000 people - or more than 1% of Gaza's 2.3 million population - have been killed in Israel's assault.
Israel launched its offensive following Oct. 7 attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group, which Israeli officials say killed 1,200 people.
Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington
The Israeli military said it attacked Houthi targets in the ports of Hodeidah, Ras Isa and Salif, and Ras Qantib power plant in Yemen on Monday.
A ship came under attack in the Red Sea off the southwest coast of Yemen on Sunday, a British maritime agency and a security firm said, in an assault that one of them said bore the hallmarks of the Houthi militant group.
The Israeli military said it had intercepted a missile launched from Yemen towards Israel in the early hours of Sunday, with sirens activated in several parts of the country.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.