At a United Nations Security Council briefing on Yemen, Ambassador Dorothy Shea, Acting US Representative to the UN, strongly condemned recent Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, calling them "unprovoked terror attacks" against civilian cargo vessels.
Shea detailed incidents involving the Magic Seas and Eternity C, stating, "The latter attack resulted in the tragic loss of at least four mariners, many others injured, and the complete loss of both ships." She accused the Houthis of obstructing rescue operations and kidnapping at least 11 crew members from the Eternity C. "We call for the kidnapped crew members’ immediate and unconditional release, just as we continue to call for the release of all UN, NGO, and diplomatic staff held for over a year," she said.
The ambassador warned, "The attacks on commercial vessels are a clear demonstration of the Houthis’ destabilizing presence in the region and interference with freedom of navigation." She noted that the Houthis have issued explicit threats to ships docking at Israeli ports and, on August 8, "fired a missile at Israel targeting Ben Gurion Airport." Shea affirmed, "We stand with Israel in its right to self-defense against the Houthis."
Shea also highlighted Iran's role in enabling Houthi escalation through continued support. "Iran’s defiance of this Council’s resolutions enables the Houthis to escalate regional tensions," she stated, commending Yemeni government-aligned forces for their July seizure of 750 tons of Iranian weapons. She urged, "We urge the UN Secretariat to facilitate an inspection of that seizure by the Yemen Panel of Experts as soon as possible."
Addressing the humanitarian impact, Shea accused the Houthis of advancing their own interests "with little regard for how they impact the region or the Yemeni people." She added, "They’ve raided warehouses of humanitarian organizations, threatening to take over their assets if they do not cooperate with the Houthis’ criminal enterprises."
The US envoy reiterated Washington's call to end the UN Mission to Support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA). "The Secretary-General’s review needs to recognize that UNMHA’s time has passed," she said, urging financial support for the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM). "The fact that the Houthis asked the UN Secretary-General to abolish UNVIM points to its effectiveness in preventing illicit shipment of weapons to the Houthis."