RIYADH ( WNAM MONITORING): Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman held a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who condemned attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia and its threat to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The crown prince congratulated Burnham on his appointment and wished Britain success and prosperity, while noting the “excellent relations” between the two countries and their peoples.
The two leaders reviewed existing areas of cooperation and ways to strengthen them, as well as regional and international issues of common interest, SPA said.
Burnham expressed Britain’s condemnation of Houthi attacks and its threat to maritime navigation in the Red Sea, affirming his country’s support for the security and sovereignty of Saudi Arabia.
The conversation came amid a sharp escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who this week declared a naval blockade targeting Saudi-linked shipping.
A Saudi-owned vessel, the NCC MASA, sustained minor hull damage in a Red Sea attack on Friday but continued to its destination after checks confirmed the safety of the vessel and its crew, according to Saudi authorities. Two days earlier, another Saudi-owned ship, the Encelia, was attacked and caught fire, with no injuries reported among its crew.
Saudi-led coalition forces subsequently carried out what they described as a “proportionate military response” against Houthi military targets in Yemen’s western Hodeidah governorate. Yemeni government forces later struck Houthi missile and drone launch sites and arms depots in Marib and Al-Jawf, according to Yemeni military officials.
The escalation has threatened a fragile truce that has largely held since 2022, despite formally expiring. The Houthis have fought Yemen’s internationally recognized government since 2014 in a conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Saudi officials have said the Kingdom will take necessary measures to protect its vessels and interests, while continuing to support efforts toward de-escalation and a comprehensive political solution to Yemen’s conflict.
The latest attacks have also heightened concerns over the security of the Red Sea, a vital maritime route and increasingly important outlet for Saudi oil exports amid disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
