Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United Nations on Friday urged the Security Council to act against risks stemming from a recent escalation in Yemen, including attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and threats to shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Abdulaziz Alwasil said an October 8 attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed three Saudi civilians, was the latest episode in what he called a dangerous escalation in recent weeks, the Middle East News Agency reported.
He described the attack as a blatant act of aggression and cited an attempted attack on Mecca on September 15 and a September 29 attack on the Taiba power distribution station in Medina.
Targeting Mecca, towards which Muslims pray, and facilities linked to Medina amounted to a provocation to Muslims around the world, he said.
Alwasil warned that attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait posed risks beyond the region, threatening the global economy and supply chains.
Saudi Arabia had taken part in diplomatic efforts since 2011 to preserve a path to peace in Yemen and secure a political settlement, he said. Those efforts had been rejected, according to the Saudi position, with parties repeatedly choosing reckless escalation and obstructing attempts to reach a political solution and fulfill commitments under the peace process.
