US and UK defend strikes on Yemen’s Houthis as legal under international law

WASHINGTON - The United States and Britain on Jan 12 defended to the UN Security Council the legality of

strikes they launched against Yemen’s Houthis for attacking Red Sea shipping,

while Russia and China accused the Western allies of raising regional tensions.

Russia called the US and British operation disproportionate and illegal.

Other countries expressed concerns that the US and British strikes against 28 locations would stoke regional tensions, already high over Israel’s offensive against Gaza’s ruling Hamas.

The exchanges came during a Security Council debate on the US and British operation carried out after months of drone and missile attacks by the Houthis on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The Houthis, who seized much of Yemen in a civil war,

say they are targeting all ships heading to Israel

regardless of their nationality, and warned all international shipping companies against dealing with Israeli ports.

They said their actions are a show of support for Palestinians and Hamas, the armed outfit that controls Gaza.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the strikes by the US and Britain, part of a US-led multinational naval coalition, were consistent with international law and the UN Charter.

The operation was designed “to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ ability to continue the reckless attacks against vessels and commercial shipping”, she said.

The US, she continued, would continue pursuing a diplomatic response while seeking to defend commercial shipping.

More than 2,000 ships have been forced by the Houthi attacks to divert from the Red Sea since November.

British Ambassador to the UN Susan Woodward said: “We took limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence alongside the US with the non-operational support of the Netherlands, Canada, Bahrain and Australia.”

Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said the US and British strikes violated international law and raised regional tensions.

“It’s one thing defending commercial shipping, attacks on which are unacceptable, but another when you’re disproportionately and illegally bombing another state,” he said.

Mr Zhang Jun, China’s UN envoy, said the Security Council had not authorised the use of force against Yemen.

The US and British operation “not only caused infrastructure destruction and civilian casualties, but have also resulted in heightened security risks in the Red Sea”, he said. REUTERS