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

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg has expressed alarm over the Houthis’ renewed attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, warning that further escalation could push Yemen back toward wider war. In a Thursday statement, Grundberg urged a return to negotiations, saying political talks were still possible to address Yemen’s security, economic and governance crises while reducing regional instability.

The warning followed Houthi claims on Wednesday that they had attacked two Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, using missiles and drones. The group, also known as Ansar Allah, said the vessels were targeted because they breached a newly declared blockade on Saudi-linked shipping. Al Jazeera reported that the blockade was announced after a July 13 strike on Sanaa airport’s runway, which Yemen’s internationally recognised government said it carried out to prevent an Iranian aircraft from landing; the Houthis blamed Saudi Arabia, the government’s key supporter.

The latest maritime campaign has already affected traffic near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, with at least five tankers changing course, and Al Jazeera said the disruption helped lift Brent crude prices above $100 a barrel. The Houthis, who are aligned with Iran, also launched missiles at Saudi Arabia, including an airport target.

Yemen’s war has been largely frozen since 2022, but the Houthis still control Sanaa while the internationally recognised government is based in Aden. The conflict began after the Houthis took the capital in 2014 and drew in a Saudi-led coalition. The UN says 22 million Yemenis need assistance this year, underscoring the humanitarian stakes if fighting resumes.