G7 urges Iran to stop arming Houthi rebels in Yemen ahead of the UN General Assembly

The foreign ministers of the G7 countries said in a joint statement that Iran must “stop arming and supporting” the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The G7 also condemned “in the strongest terms” the Houthi rebels’ attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding that the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen posed a threat to regional and global energy security.

Thousands of refugees have fled Yemen in recent days after the Iran-backed group seized territory along the country’s Red Sea coastline, including the Bab al-Mandeb strait, a critical route for global trade.

The statement comes ahead of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are expected to speak.

“We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian vessels and to return to the political process in good faith,” said the foreign ministers of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

“Their reprehensible actions constitute a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks further worsening the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability. Looking ahead, we will continue to support the legitimate Government of Yemen and reaffirm our strong commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity,” the joint statement further said.

The UN estimates that in total, more than 120,000 Yemenis have been displaced by the sudden surge in fighting along Yemen’s Red Sea coast.

Earlier this month, the Houthis, who had already seized most of Yemen’s populated areas, took control of Bab al-Mandab, a narrow waterway where the southern Red Sea flows into the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.

The Houthis have also launched hundreds of drones and missiles at cities and infrastructure in southwestern Saudi Arabia, including the capital, Riyadh.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom will provide “air-to-air refuelling” support for Saudi Arabia, including a single British aircraft, a Voyager, based at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Burnham said the announcement followed a request from Saudi Arabia for “military support,” which he accepted on the advice of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also requested military support from President Donald Trump, US media reported.

Trump has for weeks been wavering on whether to act on a Saudi request for help in fighting the Houthis, the New York Times reported on Monday.

The US president had earlier told Fox News he was in “decision-making mode” as he weighed options for the next steps in the war against Iran.

On Sunday, US embassies across the Middle East issued new security alerts as fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen intensified.

The Houthis declare themselves part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel, the US and the West in general — alongside armed groups such as Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

Tehran has previously denied supplying arms to the Houthi rebels and says it supports them only politically.