On May 6, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had stopped its military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. For seven weeks, the U.S. had been conducting precision strike operations against Houthi assets, such as terrorist compounds, explained Acting U.S. Representative to the United Nations Dorothy Shea.
“Our objective,” she said, “has been to restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways after years of Houthi terrorist attacks.”
“The Houthis’ capitulation marks a success for the U.S. approach. Whether strikes continue is up to the Houthis. As President Trump said, the Houthis don’t want to fight anymore. They are exhausted. The strikes killed hundreds of Houthi fighters and numerous Houthi leaders. U.S. military operations disabled infrastructure that facilitated fuel imports – fuel that supported the terrorist objectives of the Houthis.”
“The United States will not accept illicit smuggling of fuel and war materiel to a terrorist organization,” declared Ambassador Shea.
“We remain committed to disrupting the Houthis’ illicit revenue generation, financial facilitators, and suppliers. We remind [UN] member states that providing material support or resources to a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization is a potential violation of U.S. law. The United States will pursue all possible sanctions against relevant individuals and entities.”
“Iran has enabled Houthi attacks with military, logistical, and intelligence support,” said Ambassador Shea. “The Security Council must not tolerate Iranian defiance of its resolutions and should impose consequences on sanctions violators using the tools at its disposal.”
“The most recent Houthi attacks against Israel serve as a stark reminder of the threat that they pose to regional stability,” warned Ambassador Shea.
“We recognize Israel’s legitimate security concerns and support its right to self-defense against Iranian-backed terrorist groups like the Houthis. The United States condemns all attacks by the Houthis, especially on civilians.”
The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism, or UNVIM, has the potential to help prevent arms from reaching the Houthis. The U.S. urges member states to provide financial support for this mechanism to increase its effectiveness. Member States must also provide the naval assets necessary to ensure interdiction of ships not verified by UNVIM.
On May 6, President Donald Trump announced that the United States had stopped its military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen. For seven weeks, the U.S. had been conducting precision strike operations against Houthi assets, such as terrorist compounds.
