Security Council condemns Houthi strikes on Saudi airport that killed 13 people

The Security Council adopted a presidential statement that strongly condemns continued and escalatory Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia, according to the UN Meetings Coverage and Press Releases service. The statement is to be issued as document S/PRST/2026/4. The Council said the attacks included strikes affecting civilian aviation and energy infrastructure, and that they resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.

The Council condemned “the reckless strikes” on 10 and 11 October on King Khalid International Airport. It said they killed 13 people and wounded over 300. It also condemned multiple strikes on other airports and on Saudi Aramco facilities in Saudi Arabia. The sources do not say who counted the dead and wounded. The Council expressed its deepest sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Government and the people of Saudi Arabia. UN News in Arabic, which describes the text as a statement issued by the president of the Council, adds that members wished the injured a swift and full recovery.

Council members also repeated their condemnation, in the strongest terms, of Houthi attacks and threats against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. They stressed the importance of safeguarding commercial vessels and their crews. The 15-member Council further stressed the importance of acting in accordance with international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and of upholding navigational rights and freedoms. Members also recalled the importance of respecting international humanitarian law.

The Council stressed the importance of fully implementing resolution 2216 (2015) and subsequent resolutions. It called for cooperation, including with the Government of Yemen, to prevent the Houthis from acquiring arms and related materiel, technical assistance, training, financing and other assistance that could facilitate further attacks. Members reiterated that all Member States must adhere to their obligations regarding the targeted arms embargo.

The Council expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia “in the face of attacks impacting civilians and civilian objects on its territory”. It affirmed Saudi Arabia's inherent right to self-defence in accordance with international law.

The Council recalled its press statements of 7 August (Press Release SC/16429) and 18 September (Press Release SC/16458). In those statements it condemned in the strongest terms Houthi military escalation in Yemen. It demanded that the Houthis immediately cease that escalation and their attacks impacting civilians and civilian objects. Members reaffirmed their support for Yemen's Government and their commitment to the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen.

The Council emphasized that sustainable peace in Yemen cannot be achieved through violence, coercion or the use of force. Members reiterated their support for United Nations Special Envoy Hans Grundberg in his efforts towards a negotiated, inclusive, Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned political settlement.

The sources leave out several things a reader might expect. They do not record a vote or say how individual members, including the United States, spoke on the text. They carry no response from the Houthis. They do not say what steps the Council will take if the attacks continue.