G7 foreign ministers condemn Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, urge Iran to stop arming group

G7 foreign ministers have strongly condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and demanded an immediate halt to strikes on civilian shipping. The joint statement, issued during the UN General Assembly, urges Iran to stop arming the rebel group. The escalation follows a lightning Houthi offensive that seized Yemen's Red Sea coast, displacing over 120,000 people and threatening global energy corridors. In response, the UK and France have pledged defensive military support to secure Saudi infrastructure.

G7 condemnation of Houthis

• ▪The G7 foreign ministers urged Yemen's Houthis to immediately halt threats and attacks against civilian shipping and return to the political process in good faith
• ▪The G7 joint statement condemning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia was issued following an informal meeting of the foreign ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York
• ▪The foreign ministers of the G7 nations issued a joint statement on September 22, 2026, condemning Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and calling on the group to cease all military actions.

Houthi Red Sea territorial gains

• ▪The Houthis seized control of Yemen's entire Red Sea coastline, including the strategic port city of Mokha and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, in a lightning offensive in September 2026.
• ▪The United Nations estimated that more than 120,000 Yemenis were displaced by the sudden surge in fighting along Yemen's Red Sea coast in September 2026.

Iran arms supply allegations

• ▪Iran has denied supplying weapons to the Houthis, stating that it only supports the Yemeni rebel group politically.
• ▪A 2024 UN panel of experts concluded that the Houthis were transformed into a powerful military organization through the transfer of materiel, assistance, and training from Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah, and Iraqi specialists.
• ▪The G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming of and support for the Houthis, stating that Tehran's actions violate past UN Security Council resolutions.

Saudi airstrikes on Yemen

• ▪The Houthi-run Saba news agency reported that nine detainees were killed in an attack on a prison in al-Hazm, in Jawf province, on September 21, 2026.
• ▪Saudi airstrikes on a house in the Red Sea port city of Mokha on September 22, 2026, killed six people, including two children and a woman, according to the Houthi-run Saba news agency.
• ▪Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi stated on September 21, 2026, that Saudi Arabia had launched 760 airstrikes against Houthi territory as of the previous day.

Global shipping route threats

• ▪Houthi territorial gains cemented Iran's influence over two key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which are critical for global oil shipments.
• ▪The G7 foreign ministers stated that Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and the escalation of fighting represent a threat to regional and global energy security and international trade.
• ▪Yemen's Houthis shut down Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline following drone attacks launched from Iraq, and carried out attacks against Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu

International support for Saudi Arabia

• ▪UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced that the United Kingdom will provide defensive air-to-air refueling support for Saudi Arabia using a single Voyager aircraft based in Cyprus.
• ▪Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Yemeni governing body head Rashad al-Alimi requested military support from US President Donald Trump, who did not promise military assistance.
• ▪France pledged to assist in securing Saudi energy infrastructure through a strictly defensive approach that does not involve direct participation in the conflict with the Houthis in Yemen
• ▪Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement committing the three nations to mutual defense in the event of an attack.

Debatable claims

• ▪The UK should provide military support to Saudi Arabia against the Houthis
• ▪The United States should provide military assistance to Saudi Arabia