The governments of 12 countries - the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the United Kingdom - issued a joint statement this evening (Wednesday) in which they condemned the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and warned the Yemeni rebels to stop the maritime terrorism.
"In the last week, there has been a significant escalation in attacks against commercial ships, which have been attacked with missiles and have undergone hijacking attempts," the statement said. "These attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly undermine global stability. There is no legal justification for the deliberate targeting of civilian ships and naval vessels."
They also clarified that "the attack on the ships, including commercial ships, by means of unmanned aircraft, small boats and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such ships, constitute a direct threat to the freedom of navigation in the area that serves as the center of the global trade route, in one of the world's critical waterways."
According to world leaders, "These attacks threaten the lives of innocent people from around the world, and are a significant international problem that requires collective action. Almost 15 percent of global maritime trade passes through the Red Sea, including 8 percent of grain, 12 percent of oil traded at sea, and 8 percent of natural gas. International shipping companies continue to route their vessels around Africa, adding significant cost and weeks of delay to the delivery of goods, ultimately jeopardizing the movement of food, fuel and critical humanitarian aid around the world.
"We call for an immediate end to these illegal attacks, and for the release of the illegally detained vessels and crews," they concluded. "The Houthis will bear the consequences if they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways. We remain committed to the international order, based on clear rules, and are determined to hold all evil actors accountable for illegal abductions and attacks."