The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday strongly condemned the Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia's Najran region, even as India said its missions across the Gulf region are providing round-the-clock support to Indian-flagged vessels and seafarers amid escalating tensions in West Asia and the Red Sea.
In a statement, the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attacks constitute a blatant violation of Saudi Arabia's sovereignty and a threat to its security and stability. The ministry also reaffirmed the UAE's full solidarity with Saudi Arabia and its support for all measures taken to preserve the Kingdom's security and stability.
Meanwhile, addressing a bi-weekly media briefing in New Delhi, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Indian missions across the Gulf region are in constant contact with the Ministry of Shipping, maritime authorities and local governments while operating 24x7 helplines to assist Indian-flagged vessels and seafarers.
"This is a subject of high importance, and we attach high priority to the issue. Our missions all across the Gulf region are in constant contact with the Ministry of Shipping, as also with maritime authorities in those countries and other authorities as well, so that as and when any support is required to be provided to our seafarers or Indian-flagged ships, they can do that," Jaiswal said.
He added that the missions have been running 24x7 helplines for several months to assist not only seafarers but all Indians requiring support. The MEA also called for safe and unimpeded navigation and the free flow of commerce through international waterways, urging all parties to refrain from targeting civilian infrastructure, commercial vessels and seafarers.
The developments come as tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia continue to escalate. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Friday that a statement from the Yemeni Armed Forces would announce a "distinctive military operation."
On Wednesday, the Houthis claimed they had targeted Saudi oil tanker "Daisy" with a ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden, saying the vessel was forced to turn back as part of the group's declared maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia under its "blockade-for-blockade" policy. The group also claimed responsibility for a ballistic missile attack on another Saudi tanker, "Wafa", off the coast of Yanbu, a major Saudi Red Sea port city.
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Houthis said they had carried out a drone attack on Najran airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia in response to alleged Saudi drone incursions into Yemeni airspace.
The latest attacks follow the group's July 20 announcement of a maritime ban on Saudi-linked shipping in the Red Sea, citing an alleged Saudi blockade on Houthi-held areas. Since then, the Houthis have claimed multiple missile and drone strikes on Saudi-linked vessels and energy infrastructure, while the Saudi-led coalition has resumed airstrikes on what it described as key Houthi military targets in Yemen.
The escalating conflict has also directly impacted commercial shipping. Earlier this week, the India-flagged vessel MSV Faize Noore Oliya sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen after it was attacked by an explosives-laden boat.
The MEA condemned the attack on Tuesday and confirmed that all 13 Indian nationals onboard had been rescued. It said the Indian Embassy in Riyadh is closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with Yemeni authorities to ensure the safety and security of the crew.
"The continuing incidents of attacks on commercial shipping in the region are deeply worrisome. The targeting of commercial shipping in the region must end, and free and unimpeded navigation and commerce through the international waterways in the region, in keeping with international law, must be restored at the earliest," the ministry said.
Yemen's government-affiliated National Resistance Forces (NRF) blamed the Houthi group for the attack.
The renewed hostilities have heightened concerns over security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, raising the risk of a broader military confrontation after years of relative calm in Yemen.
