Iran must stop arming Houthis in Yemen, G7 says ahead of UN General Assembly

22 September 2026, 05: 21 BST. Updated 17 minutes ago.

Key points

• The UN estimates that in all, more than 120, 000 Yemenis have been displaced by the sudden surge in fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast.
• Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has additionally requested military backing from President Donald Trump, US media documented.
• Trump has wavered for weeks over whether to act on a Saudi request for support in fighting the Houthis, the New York Times noted on Monday.
• The statement comes ahead of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian authorities are due to speak.
• On Sunday, US embassies throughout the Middle East issued new security alerts as fighting between the Houthis and the Saudi-backed coalition in Yemen intensified.

Iran must "end its arming of and support" for the Houthis in Yemen, the foreign ministers of G7 nations have remarked in a joint statement.

Notably, the G7 additionally condemned "in the strongest terms" Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding that the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen represented a threat to regional and global energy security.

Thousands of refugees have fled Yemen in recent days after the Iran-backed group seized territory along the country's Red Sea coastline, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping route for global trade.

Meanwhile, the statement comes ahead of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian authorities are due to speak.

"We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith, " remarked the foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

It went on: "Their reprehensible actions constitute a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks further exacerbating the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability."

"Looking forward, we will continue to support the legitimate Government of Yemen and reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen, " the ministers remarked.

Their statement was issued after a gathering on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

Yemenis flee throughout Red Sea as Houthis and Saudi-backed forces escalate war. Houthis say they targeted Saudi capital with ballistic missiles.

Meanwhile, at least six individuals were killed in Saudi strikes on the strategic Yemeni city of Mokha, the AFP news agency noted, citing Houthi-affiliated media.

Two children and a woman were among the dead, while eight others were injured in the attack on the city. It the Houthis seized from pro-government forces earlier this month.

Saudi Arabia, which backs the internationally recognised administration of Yemen, has not yet commented on the noted strikes.

In practice, the UN estimates that in all, more than 120, 000 Yemenis have been displaced by the sudden surge in fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

Earlier this month, the Houthis. This person had already seized most of the populated parts of Yemen, took control of Bab al-Mandab, a narrow, maritime chokepoint where the southern Red Sea flows into the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.

Saudi Arabia has retaliated with hundreds of air strikes in the region.

Notably, the Houthis have additionally rolled out hundreds of drones and missiles at cities and infrastructure in south-western Saudi Arabia, including the capital city, Riyadh.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has remarked the UK will provide "defensive air-to-air refuelling" backing for Saudi Arabia, involving a single British aircraft, a Voyager, based out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Burnham remarked the announcement followed a request from Saudi Arabia for "military support". It he agreed to on the advice of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband.

Notably, a diplomatic source informed AFP that France has pledged backing as well, and notes is ready to work on "securing" Saudi energy infrastructure via a "strictly defensive approach".

In practice, the US president had earlier informed Fox News that he was in "deciding mode" as he considered options for the next steps in the war against Iran.

For context, the Houthis declare themselves to be part of the Iranian-led "axis of resistance" against Israel, the US and the wider West – along with armed group such as Hamas and Lebanon's Hezbollah movement.

Tehran has previously denied supplying weapons to the Houthis and notes it only supports them politically.

In short, iran must stop arming Houthis in Yemen, G7 says ahead of UN is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.