UN Security Council To Vote On Resolution Condemning Houthi Attacks On Red Sea Shipping

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a resolution condemning and demanding an immediate halt to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea area. 

The US-sponsored draft resolution highlights at least two dozen Houthi attacks, citing their adverse impact on global commerce, undermining navigational rights, freedoms and regional peace and security.

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, engaged in a civil war with Yemen's internationally recognised government since 2014, have claimed responsibility for the attacks. They assert launching these assaults with the aim of ending Israel's air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, triggered by a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on 7 October in southern Israel.

The US draft resolution insists on the immediate release of the first ship attacked by the Houthis, the Galaxy Leader, a Japanese-operated cargo ship with ties to an Israeli company seized on 19 November, along with its crew. However, as the attacks persist, the links to the targeted ships have become more tenuous.

The latest incident involved a barrage of drones and missiles fired by the Houthis targeting shipping in the Red Sea on Tuesday, with the US reporting no damage. The strategic waterway, linking the Middle East and Asia to Europe through the Suez Canal, faces disruptions as shipping companies opt for the longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa due to the Houthi attacks.

Approximately 10 per cent of all oil trade and an estimated USD 1 trillion in goods pass through the Red Sea annually, making the situation a global concern. In response, a US-led coalition, along with 12 other nations, issued a statement last week calling for an immediate end to Houthi attacks, warning of collective action if the assaults persist. The statement emphasised that the consequences of further attacks would be borne by the Houthis, impacting lives, the global economy, and the free flow of commerce in the critical waterways of the region.