UN Security Council condemns escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia

The United Nations Security Council on Thursday, 15 October, adopted a presidential statement (to be issued as S/PRST/2026/4) strongly condemning continued and escalatory Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, including strikes affecting civilian aviation and energy infrastructure, the UN press service said.

What the Council condemned

• Members condemned “the reckless strikes” on 10 and 11 October on King Khalid International Airport, which killed 13 people and wounded over 300, as well as multiple strikes on other airports and Saudi Aramco facilities.
• They reiterated condemnation of continued Houthi attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, and stressed navigational rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
• The Council expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and affirmed the kingdom’s inherent right to self-defence under international law.

Arms embargo and Yemen

• Members stressed full implementation of resolution 2216 (2015) and subsequent resolutions, calling for cooperation — including with Yemen’s government — to prevent the Houthis from acquiring arms and related assistance.
• They reaffirmed support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government and for UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg’s efforts toward a negotiated, inclusive Yemeni-led settlement.
• The statement recalled earlier Council press statements of 7 August and 18 September demanding that the Houthis cease military escalation and attacks on civilians and civilian objects.