Russia Accuses US and UK of Conducting a Military Operation “Against Yemen” Under the Guise of “Maritime Security”
Yemen Monitor/ Moscow/ Exclusive:
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that US and UK strikes in Yemen are contributing to the escalation of the situation in the region.
This came during a press conference in Moscow following negotiations with Yemeni Foreign Minister Shay’e Al-Zandani, according to the English version of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website.
Lavrov affirmed that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea pose serious threats to maritime security, but added: “While we support efforts to ensure maritime security, we cannot agree with what the US and the UK are doing because they are grossly distorting a UN Security Council resolution.”
He said: “Under the guise of ensuring maritime security, they have launched a military operation against Yemen and launched missile and bomb attacks on Yemeni territory, which has exacerbated the situation.”
The resolution referred to by Lavrov is resolution 2722, issued on January 10, which calls on the Houthis to stop Red Sea attacks and protect navigation. It did not explicitly state the launch of attacks on Yemeni land. The day after the resolution, the US and Britain launched airstrikes on Houthi areas and continued to do so until today. This caused a clash in the Security Council between Russia and China on one hand and the US on the other.
Shay’e Al-Zandani arrived in Moscow on Monday, amid reports of Russia attempting to arm the Iranian-backed Houthi group and the presence of Russian military experts assisting the Houthis in Red Sea attacks.
US intelligence agencies have warned that Russia may arm Houthi militants in Yemen with advanced anti-ship missiles in response to the Biden administration’s support for Ukrainian strikes inside Russia with US weapons, according to the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal. Later, CNN said that Moscow had backed down from arming the Houthis but had sent military experts.
Since the end of last year, the Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and more recently have expanded their operations to the Indian Ocean. They have said that they are targeting ships linked to Israel, which is launching a brutal attack on Gaza Strip. However, the Yemeni government and experts say that the Houthis’ goals are domestic, aimed at escaping local crises and improving their image in the region.
In response, the US and Britain have been conducting airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi militants since January 11. As a result, the Houthis announced an expansion of their operations to include US and British ships.
From November to August, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) recorded more than 220 attacks on US commercial or military vessels off the coast of Yemen, including nearly 120 attacks since the start of US airstrikes on the Yemeni mainland.
