UNITED NATIONS – The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Friday afternoon over the strikes carried out by the United States and Britain against Houthi rebels in Yemen, the chamber’s presidency said.
France, which holds the rotating presidency for the month of January, said the emergency meeting had been requested by Russia, and that it would take place after a previously scheduled meeting on the situation in Gaza.
US and British forces struck rebel-held Yemen early on Friday after weeks of disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Iran-backed Houthis, who say they are acting in solidarity with Gaza.
On Wednesday, the Security Council had adopted a resolution demanding the “immediate” halt to the Houthi’s attacks, noting the right of member states to defend ships against such attacks.
Russia and China abstained from the vote, which passed 11-0.
Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said at the time that Moscow was concerned by the situation in the Red Sea, but also “concerned that the United States and their allies prefer, as on many occasions in the past, to choose a path of unilateral solution by force.”
The United States, Britain and eight other nations referred to the Security Council resolution in a joint statement issued after the overnight strikes on Yemen.
Meanwhile Jordan said on Friday that Israel’s fight against Hamas in Gaza was responsible for soaring tensions, after US and British forces struck Houthi rebels, adding to fears of regional war.
In comments published by official news agency Petra, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi warned the international community against allowing the Israeli government’s “hatred and racism… to drag the region” into conflict.
“Israel’s brutal aggression against Gaza” and violations of Palestinians’ rights “pose the greatest threat” to regional stability, Safadi said.
He added that the kingdom — which in 1994 became the second Arab country to sign a peace treaty with Israel — was “keeping a close eye on the developments in the Red Sea”.
The Houthis said that US and British interests were “legitimate targets” after they launched deadly strikes against the rebels following weeks of disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping.
The barrage of strikes early on Friday against the Houthis stoked fears of the Israel-Hamas war spilling over across the region.
Violence involving Iran-aligned groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria has surged since the war in Gaza began in early October.
Britain, the United States and eight allies said the strikes aimed to “de-escalate tensions”. But Iran and other governments condemned the Western action or warned that unrest could worsen.