UN Yemen envoy warns of ‘devastating’ escalation in West Asia

In a briefing to the United Nations Security Council on the situation in Yemen on Tuesday, Hans Grundberg warned of the danger of an escalation following new Houthi attacks on commercial shipping and the first confirmed Israeli air strikes on Yemen in retaliation for Houthi drone and missile attacks on Israel.

“I remain deeply concerned about the continued targeting of international navigation in the Red Sea and its surrounding waterways,” Grundberg said.

“Recent developments suggest that the threat against international shipping is increasing in scope and precision.”

The Houthi attacks on Israel and the Israeli strikes on Yemen’s port of Hodeidah and its oil and power facilities represent “a new and dangerous level” of violence, he added.

Commercial ships have been sunk and damaged, disrupting trade, civilians have died, the Houthis still detain the crew of the Galaxy Leader, a cargo ship they hijacked in November, and the United States and the United Kingdom continue air strikes on military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, he stated.

“It is alarming that there are no signs of de-escalation, let alone a solution,” Grundberg continued.

The Houthis have launched missiles and drones at Israel and disrupted global trade through the Red Sea in response to Israel’s military onslaught against the Gaza Strip.

Israel has claimed Houthis have launched 200 attacks against it since the war began, many of them intercepted.

But a rare Houthi drone strike last Friday hit Tel Aviv, killing one person and prompting Israel to announce its first strikes against the group on Saturday.

The air strikes hit near Hodeidah and killed six people, local medics confirmed.