We join our partners and allies in strongly condemning the October 21 Houthi attack on Yemen’s Ash-Shihr port. We call on the Houthis to immediately halt such attacks, which are an affront to navigational rights and freedoms and jeopardize international commerce. We are glad that no lives were lost in the attack and that the ship was able to depart safely, but such attacks threaten Yemen’s peace and security, hinder the flow of essential goods, and will only trigger further economic instability and suffering across the country.
We remind the Houthis that the world is watching their actions and that the only path forward to ending eight years of destructive war is to de-escalate and redouble efforts to reach a durable ceasefire and end Yemen’s conflict through a negotiated political settlement. We urge all parties to demonstrate restraint during this sensitive time. Only through an extension of the truce can we ensure payment of salaries, free movement on Yemen’s roads and through its ports and airports, and an end to the cycle of destructive violence that has plagued Yemen for eight years. This is the only way to ensure that all of Yemen’s people can benefit from its resources and enjoy a more prosperous future.
