Battle over Houthis; Russia and China Clash with the US and UK in the Security Council

On Thursday, representatives from Russia and China, in a coordinated action at the United Nations Security Council, accused the US and UK of 'illegal attacks' on Yemen's Houthis, targeting Houthi missile launch sites and disrupting global shipping in the Red Sea. According to the Associated Press, representatives from the United States and the UK responded to the accusations from Russia and China by arguing that their operations are a legal self-defense against Houthi militia attacks on commercial vessels in international waterways. Robert Wood, the US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, rejected the claims from Russia and China during a Security Council meeting on Wednesday night, stating that these operations aim to disrupt Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. Barbara Woodward, the UK representative, also stated, 'It is the Houthi attacks that are increasing global shipping costs and complicating humanitarian aid.' In response, Russia and China stated that the US and UK do not have Security Council authorization for military action. This verbal clash began when Hans Grundberg, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, identified the increase in regional conflicts related to the fighting in Gaza and military tensions in the Red Sea as the most serious challenge to advancing the peace process in Yemen. The Houthi rebels, affiliated with the Islamic Republic, have targeted commercial vessels bound for or coming from Israel in the Red Sea since last November, under the pretext of supporting Palestinians, following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. However, most of the vessels targeted by the Houthis in the Red Sea have had no connection to Israel. The air operations by the US and UK are aimed at limiting Houthi attacks on vessels in this critical trade route. Politico: Some Arab governments are limiting US access for operations against Iran's proxies. The continuation of Houthi threats; Greek commercial vessels rerouting from the Red Sea. The US has called for global pressure against the Islamic Republic to stop Houthi attacks. A missile attack on a vessel in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait on Monday; the Houthis are the main suspects. The US destroyed two Houthi vessels and three cruise missiles. A German frigate has been dispatched to protect commercial vessels in the Red Sea.