US calls on Iran to halt `unprecedented’ weapons transfers to Yemen’s Houthis for attacks on ships

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The United States is calling on Iran to halt its transfer of an “unprecedented” amount of weaponry to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, enabling its fighters to attack ships in the Red Sea and elsewhere.

U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the U.N. Security Council on Monday that if it wants to make progress toward ending  Yemen’s civil war it must act collectively to “call Iran out for its destabilizing role and insist that it cannot hide behind the Houthis.”

He said there is extensive evidence that Iran is providing advanced weapons, including ballistic and cruise missiles, to the Houthis in violation of U.N. sanctions.

A Houthi soldier stands on board of the Israeli Galaxy ship which was seized by the Houthis near Hodeidah, Yemen, Sunday, May 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Osamah Abdulrahman)

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping are aimed at pressuring Israel to end its war with Hamas in Gaza.