Tag: houthi

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Saudi attacks were clearly enabled by Iran: US

US NSA said that the attacks were clearly enabled by Iran in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions prohibiting the import of weapons into Yemen, reports Asian Lite News

The United States condemns the Houthi attacks on civilian infrastructure and facilities in several Saudi Arabian cities, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement on Friday (Local Time).

“We condemn the Houthi attacks launched against Saudi Arabia’s civil infrastructure earlier today. Unprovoked Houthi attacks against Saudi Aramco’s oil storage facilities in Jeddah as well as attacks against civil facilities in Jizan, Najran, and Dhahran are acts of terrorism aimed to prolong the suffering of the Yemeni people,” the statement read.

The United States stands fully behind efforts to de-escalate the conflict through the UN and will continue to support partners in defence of their territory from Houthi attacks, he added.

Jake Sullivan (File Photo ANI)

US NSA said that the attacks were clearly enabled by Iran in violation of UN Security Council (UNSC) resolutions prohibiting the import of weapons into Yemen.

Notably, a fire broke out at the Jeddah oil depot on Friday ahead of Saudi Arabia Grand Prix race.

Yemen’s Houthi militia on Friday claimed responsibility for fresh cross-border drone and missile attacks on oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, the third such attack in less than a week, reported Xinhua.

“A number of bomb-laden drones targeted the oil refineries in Ras Tanura and Rabigh, as well as the Aramco oil facilities in Jazan and Najran … A barrage of wing missiles targeted Aramco oil facilities in Jeddah and the Saudi capital Riyadh,” Houthi military spokesman Yehya Sarea said in a statement aired by the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV.

“We also launched several ballistic missiles at other vital Saudi targets in Jazan, Dhahran Al-Janub, Abha, Khamis Mushait,” the Houthi spokesman said, vowing to launch more attacks to break the blockade imposed by the Saudi-led coalition forces on the Yemeni ports under the Houthi militia control.

Meanwhile, a statement from the Saudi-led coalition forces said that “a total of 16 hostile attacks by the Houthi militia hit energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and we exercise restraint in order to make the Yemeni consultations a success,” the Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported.

The meeting is slated to be held in Riyadh next week, convening Yemen’s political parties to discuss a comprehensive political solution to end the country’s seven years of civil war, which the Houthi militia has refused to join.

Earlier this week, the Houthi militia launched two other attacks against the same energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, using barrages of drones and missiles, as per the news agency.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of several northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led Arab coalition intervened on March 26, 2015, to support the Yemeni government. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Iran wants to keep dialogue open with Saudi

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OIC condemns Houthi attacks against UAE and Saudi

OIC condemned the terrorist attacks against UAE and Saudi Arabia…reports Asian Lite News

The foreign ministers of the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) condemned the terrorist attacks against UAE and Saudi Arabia, welcoming UN Security Council resolution which declared the Houthi group as a terrorist organisation.

The OIC has also expressed their solidarity with the Yemeni people, calling for an immediate cessation of attacks targeting the civilians, violence against children, their recruitment and exploitation and the use of landmines. They also called on the removal of obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian assistance to the Yemeni people.

The OIC declaration entitled “Partnership for Unity, Justice and Development” also expressed their concern about the intensification of geopolitical competition, the race armaments, the humanitarian and climate crises and the social and economic inequalities with their negative effects on peoples and the global political, security and economic system, it was reported.

Meanwhile, the Arab Parliament strongly condemned the Houthi militia’s aggressive attack with two booby-trapped boats against oil tankers that crossed Bab-el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea.

In a statement issued today, the Arab Parliament warned of the danger of the Houthi terrorist attacks against oil tankers, as they target energy sources, especially in light of the turmoil in global oil markets as a result of global events.

It called on the international community to play its role and act immediately to prevent any shortage of energy supplies at the global level, citing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s warning that the Houthi militias attacks targeting its oil facilities constitute a threat to oil supplies in global markets.

ALSO READ: Antonio condemns recent Houthi attacks on Saudi civilians

Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of Arab League (AL) Ahmed Aboul Gheit expressed great concern that the crises of the Arab region would be forgotten or ignored in light of the current tense international situation.

In his speech yesterday before the Security Council on cooperation between the Security Council and the Arab League, Aboul Gheit cautioned that these crises will not find their way to a solution on their own, but rather this international situation may inflame and complicate them further.

Gheit pointed out that in Yemen, the Houthi militia is still rejecting the principle of negotiation and a political settlement of the crisis, and instead, it used to resort to threatening its neighbours with drones and ballistic missiles, praising in this regard the Security Council Resolution 2624, which was adopted and imposed more sanctions on Houthi militia, with designate it as a terrorist organization.

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Antonio condemns recent Houthi attacks on Saudi civilians

Antonio

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemns the recent Houthi-claimed attacks on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia, a UN spokesman has said…reports Asian Lite News

“These actions damage prospects for peace and regional stability and are detrimental to the ongoing mediation efforts of our special envoy Hans Grundberg,” Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for Guterres, was quoted by Xinhua news agency as saying.

International humanitarian law prohibits attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

“We call upon all parties to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any further escalation,” Dujarric added. “We strongly urge the parties to engage constructively and without preconditions with Grundberg.”

The special envoy aims to advance talks to reach a comprehensive negotiated settlement to end the conflict in Yemen.

On Sunday, the Houthi rebel militia claimed responsibility for attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jeddah and other energy facilities in Saudi Arabia. It was the second of such cross-border missile attacks against Saudi Arabia in less than 24 hours.

The Houthi’s attacks on Sunday followed a few days after saying they were ready for peace talks when previous attempts to get the militia into such discussions failed.

ALSO READ: Antonio voices concern over missile attack in Iraq’s Erbil

The spokesman said Grundberg was in Muscat, Oman, on Sunday meeting the Houthi chief negotiator Mohammed Abdulsalam.

Dujarric said they discussed ongoing UN consultations and efforts to address the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, including a possible truce during the upcoming holy month of Ramadan. Grundberg is continuing discussions with the parties to the conflict.

A Saudi-led coalition supports the internationally-recognized Yemen government, forced from its seat in Saana by the Houthis.

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Arab News News Saudi Arabia

Houthi launch drone attacks against Saudi Aramco oil facilities

Omani delegation arrives in Yemen to mediate peace process

The Houthi militia announced multiple attacks against Aramco oil facilities in several cities in Saudi Arabia…reports Asian Lite News

Yemen’s Houthi militia have claimed responsibility for a fresh attack against Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Jeddah and other vital energy facilities in the Jazan, the second of such cross-border missile attacks against Riyadh in less than 24 hours.

“We announce that we launched a barrage of ballistic missiles at the Aramco oil facilities in Jeddah and other vital energy facilities in Jazan,” Xinhua news agency quoted the militia-run al-Masirah TV as saying on Sunday citing a statement by Houthi spokesman Yehya Sarea.

“The strikes were accurate,” he said, vowing of launching more attacks in the coming days.

Earlier in the day, the Houthi militia announced multiple attacks against Aramco oil facilities in several cities in Saudi Arabia, using ballistic missiles and bomb-laden drones.

Meanwhile, the Saudi Energy Ministry said on Sunday that its oil facilities have undergone three drone attacks in the past 24 hours.

The first attack took place on Saturday, targeting the petroleum products distribution terminal in Jazan.

The other two drones attacked a natural gas facility and oil refining factory respectively in Yanbu.

The Saudi Ministry said the attacks caused a fire in Jeddah’s oil facilities but there were no casualties.

It stressed that the kingdom strongly condemns these attacks, adding that such “acts of sabotage and terrorism” are “cowardly assaults that violate international laws”.

The Houthi cross-border attacks came nearly three days after the militia announced its readiness for peace talks.

Previous UN bids to bring the militia onto the table of negotiations had failed.

UN spokesperson Stephane Dujjaric welcomed on Sunday “the initiative announced by the Gulf Corporation Council to host the parties to the conflict in Yemen for consultations in (the Saudi capital) Riyadh in the coming weeks in support of the UN efforts”.

“We appreciate all initiatives that support UN actions to reach an inclusive negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Yemen.”

The Houthi fresh attacks against the energy facilities in Saudi Arabia were the latest in a series of similar missile and drone attacks against Riyadh and its allies in the Gulf region.

In January, the Houthi missile attacks killed three people in the United Arab Emirates and bombed an oil facility in Abu Dhabi.

The Houthi militia said its attacks were in response to air and sea blockade imposed by the coalition forces on the Yemeni ports under the militia control.

The coalition said it aims to prevent arms smuggling to the militia.

ALSO READ: Houthi attacks disrupt peace efforts

The escalation came after the Houthi militia lost several strategic districts in the oil-rich provinces of Shabwa and Marib in central Yemen.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of the northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the following year to support the Yemeni government.

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Houthi attacks disrupt peace efforts

Fire caused by Houthi attack on Aramco station in Jeddah has been brought under control, officials said, reports Asian Lite News

The Saudi air defences have intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile and nine bomb-laden drones targeting civilian objects and economic installations in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, a limited fire that was caused by a Houthi hostile attack targeting an Aramco distribution station for petroleum products in Jeddah has been brought under control, the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said on Sunday.

Falling debris from an intercepted missile damaged some vehicles at a parking lot in Jazan on Saturday. (SPA)

“Initial investigations indicate that the militia has used (Iranian) cruise missiles that targeted Al Shuqaiq Water Desalination Plant and Aramco’s Jizan Bulk Plant,” said Brigadier General Turki Al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led Coaliton.

The targeted locations also include the power transmission station in Dhahran Al Janub, the National Gas and Industrialization Company’s Khamis Mushait Gas Station and Aramco’s Liquified Gas Plant in Yanbu.

These hostile attacks and scattered debris as a result of their interception caused some material damages to the facilities, civilian vehicles and civilian houses, and no loss of life was recorded until the issuance of the statement.

He said these attacks are a dangerous escalation and represents Houthis’ approach towards the peace consultations offered by the GCC.

“They also represent the terrorist Houthi militia’s position in regards to the invitation extended by H.E. the Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council in order to host inclusive Yemeni-Yemeni consultations, and underline the militia’s approach of rejection towards all international efforts and initiatives, including the Saudi Initiative, and reaching a comprehensive and sustainable political resolution to end the Yemeni crisis,” the statement added.

Saudi firefighters inspect the damage caused by the debris of a missile intercepted in Jazan (SPA)

GCC Secretary General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf had earlier invited all Yemeni parties involved to hold consultations under the auspices of the council, set for March 29 to the seventh of April in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has strongly condemned the terrorist Houthi militias’ latest attacks targeting civilian objects in various locations, using ballistic missiles and bomb-laden drones.

In a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), the UAE said that the continued threat of these attacks by the Houthi militias reflects their blatant disregard for the international community, the efforts made to end the Yemeni crisis, and all international laws and norms.

MoFAIC urged the international community to take an immediate and decisive stance to stop these recurrent acts that threaten the security and safety of civilians as well as the security of global energy supplies and economic stability. It also called on the international community to support measures taken by the Arab Coalition, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to stop the Houthi militias from targeting civilian objects and deter their threats to countries of the region.

The UAE reiterated its full solidarity with Saudi Arabia over these subversive terrorist attacks and underscored its stance against all threats to the Kingdom’s security and stability.

The UAE also underlined its support for all measures taken by Saudi authorities, stressing that the security of the UAE and that of Saudi Arabia are indivisible and that any threat facing the Kingdom is considered a threat to the security and stability of the UAE.

ALSO READ: UAE welcomes EU’s sanctioning of Houthis

Iraq on Sunday condemned the latest attacks that targeted energy facilities in Saudi Arabia, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry “reiterated its stance calling for the adoption of dialogue to end these actions between the parties to the conflict, as the dialogue ensures mechanisms for all parties to avoid more losses”, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia seized control of the northern provinces and forced the Saudi-backed Yemeni government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition intervened in the following year to support the Yemeni government

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UAE welcomes EU’s sanctioning of Houthis

The prohibition to provide arms to the Houthis as a group is now binding on all the EU’s territory, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2624 (2022)…reports Asian Lite News

The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the decision by the Council of the European Union to amend a regulation for arms embargo adopted by the United Nations (UN), which all UN Member States are required to implement under the UN Charter.

The European Council decision cites the text of the UN Security Council resolution describing the Houthis repeated attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in Yemen, commission of sexual violence against women, military recruitment of children, and incitement of violence on the basis of religion and nationality.

The reasons for listing also include the Houthi militias’ attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea using waterborne improvised explosive devices and sea mines, as well as cross-border terrorist attacks striking civilians and civilian infrastructure in the UAE and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The prohibition to provide arms to the Houthis as a group is now binding on all the EU’s territory, in accordance with Security Council Resolution 2624 (2022).

The European Council’s amended regulation follows the recent adoption of the UN Security Council resolution that renews the sanctions regime on Yemen and labels the Houthi militias as a “terrorist group” for the first time.

ALSO READ: Houthi ready to negotiate with Saudi-led coalition

Extending from its multilateral efforts to end the war in Yemen and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people, the UAE continues to urge the international community to take a firm stance on the designation of the Houthi militias as a terrorist group and to disrupt the flow of arms and financial support. The UAE also encourages States to exercise more vigilance over their exports of dual use items that are being used in weapons systems by the Houthis to attack civilian targets, as documented in UN reports on Yemen sanctions.

Furthermore, the UAE affirms that the only solution to bring an end to this crisis is to join efforts to reach a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations with Yemeni stakeholders in accordance with the Gulf Initiative, the results of the National Dialogue Conference, and relevant UN resolutions.

UAE calls on international community

Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, has participated in a high-level meeting on the humanitarian situation in Yemen, which was hosted by the Swiss Confederation, Sweden, and United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

During the meeting, which saw the participation of a number of representatives of donor, UN, and international government organisations, Sheikh Shakhboot reiterated the UAE’s call on the international community to take serious and decisive steps to put pressure on the terrorist Houthi militias to cease their transgressions.

Sheikh Shakhboot noted that the international community should reflect on the reasons that led to the escalation in Yemen, most notably the Houthis’ refusal to accept any political solution and to meet with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General, as well as their rejection of the fact that the only way to achieve peace is through negotiations.

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Houthi ready to negotiate with Saudi-led coalition

Saudi blacklists 25 individuals entities over financing Houthis

Yemen’s Houthi militia announced that they are ready to negotiate with the Saudi-led coalition in an effort to end the country’s seven-year civil war…reports Asian Lite News

The Houthis said they “welcome dialogue with the coalition countries in any neutral country” which did not join the war in Yemen, Xinhua news agency quoted the militia-run al-Masirah TV as saying in a report.

The Houthi militia did not provide further details.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including Sanaa, in 2014.

ALSO READ: Saudi-led coalition repels Houthi militia in Yemen’s Marib

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthis forced him into exile.

Due to the conflict, Yemen remains one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world to date.

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Houthi shelling in Yemen kills 6 kids

Houthi shelling in Yemen kills 6 kids

Shelling carried out by the Houthi militia in different areas of Yemen in the past 24 hours has led to the deaths of six children, a security official said…reports Asian Lite News

“In two separate incidents, the Houthis launched shelling and killed six children in southwestern province of Taiz and in Sanaa’s countryside within the past 24 hours,” the official told Xinhua news agency.

On Wednesday, the Yemen government’s National Committee for Investigating Alleged Violation of Human Rights said that a total of 56 women were killed as a result of shelling carried out by the Houthi militia during the past several months.

Due to shelling and bombing of houses, about 280 families were forcibly displaced, the committee said.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution at the end of February that imposes an arms embargo on the Houthi militia in Yemen as an entity.

The move was welcomed by the internationally-recognized Yemeni government and several other Arab countries.

ALSO READ: UAE welcomes UN declaring Houthis ‘terrorists’

The Houthi militia currently controls the capital Sanaa and most key northern provinces.

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile.

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Arab News World

UN envoy continues consultations with Yemen’s political parties

UN envoy continues consultations with Yemen's political parties

UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg continued his consultations with Yemen’s political parties in a bid to resume peace talks…reports Asian Lite News

The envoy’s office said in a statement that he held bilateral meetings in Jordan’s capital Amman with the representatives of the parties, aiming to create a framework for a comprehensive solution to end the protracted civil war, reports Xinhua news agency.

The envoy met leaders of the General People’s Congress Party, as well as the delegations of the Islah Party, the Yemeni Socialist Party, and the Nasserist Unionist People’s Organization, the statement said.

Over 100 Yemeni men and women from political parties, the security and economic sectors, and civil society will be consulted over the next few weeks in Jordan and in Yemen.

The envoy will continue engaging with the government of Yemen and the Houthi group as well as with regional and international stakeholders.

“This is a dire time for Yemen. The conflict, which is soon entering its eighth year, continues to exacerbate the suffering of civilians, threaten regional stability, and undermine the prospects of a peaceful solution,” Grundberg said.

He added that “there is an urgent need to establish an inclusive political process that reverses this destructive trajectory and provides opportunities and space for dialogue at multiple levels”.

ALSO READ: 21mn Yemenis need life-saving aid: Unicef

Yemen has been mired in a civil war since the Houthi militia overran much of the country militarily and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa, in 2014.

Saudi Arabia has been leading an Arab military coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after Houthis forced him into exile.

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UAE welcomes UN declaring Houthis ‘terrorists’

Saudi blacklists 25 individuals entities over financing Houthis

The United Arab Emirates has welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution renewing the sanctions regime on Yemen and labelling the Houthi militias as a “terrorist group” for the first time…reports Asian Lite News

Meanwhile, the Security Council on Monday imposed an arms embargo on the Houthi militia. The measure expands a targeted UN arms embargo on several Houthi leaders to the whole group.

The resolution also designated the Houthi militias as an entity on the Yemen Sanctions List under the arms embargo and condemned the Houthi terrorist group’s cross-border attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE and demanded the group’s immediate cessation of hostilities.

“The purpose of this resolution is to limit the capacity of the Houthis and to limit the escalation of the war in Yemen. It also calls for an end to attacks on international navigational waters and vessels and to put an end to the suffering of civilians in Yemen and in the region in the face of these terrorist attacks,” said Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the UN.

ALSO READ: Yemen complains over Houthi activisites from Lebanon

Ambassador Nusseibeh also reiterated the UAE’s demands for the Houthi militias “to cease their terrorist acts and coastal attacks and to return to the negotiating table to begin a serious political process.”

Furthermore, Lana Nusseibeh underscored that the only solution to bring an end to this crisis would be to join efforts to reach a political solution under the auspices of the United Nations with the Yemenis, in accordance with the Gulf Initiative and the results of the National Dialogue Conference and relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including resolution No 2216.