NEW YORK — Saudi Arabia has stressed that safeguarding maritime corridors and freedom of navigation is a shared international responsibility, warning that Houthi threats in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait pose risks to global trade and supply chains. The Kingdom’s position was outlined by its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dr. Abdulaziz Al-Wasil, during a UN Security Council session on Houthi threats to maritime navigation. Al-Wasil condemned Houthi attacks against the Kingdom, as well as the targeting of commercial vessels and maritime routes, reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s right to protect its national security. He highlighted the Kingdom’s launch of a multinational defensive maritime coalition to strengthen maritime security and safeguard freedom of navigation amid growing threats to the region’s vital waterways. Al-Wasil also reiterated Saudi Arabia’s support for de-escalation and efforts to reach a comprehensive and sustainable political solution to the Yemeni crisis, while reaffirming its support for Yemen’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. He urged the international community to fulfill its responsibilities in safeguarding maritime corridors, protecting the flow of international trade and global supply chains, and maintaining regional and international security and stability.
