Houthis Justify Military Intervention from Yemen Address International Actors to Explain Position

The Houthi-run foreign ministry in Sana’a, part of a government not internationally recognized, said its recent decision to launch military intervention was a response to what it described as attacks targeting Iran, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon, calling them a “blatant violation” of the UN Charter and international humanitarian law.

In messages sent to the UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, members of the UN Security Council, the European Union, and the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Deputy Foreign Minister Abdulwahid Aburas said the group’s military move followed a month of escalating regional conflict, which he said included strikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Aburas added that Yemen had repeatedly warned against the continuation of such attacks and had signaled its readiness to intervene militarily depending on developments.

In a statement published by the Houthi-affiliated Saba news agency, Aburas criticized the UN Security Council, accusing it of failing to uphold its responsibility to maintain international peace and security, and of bias. He said the council had “condemned the victim instead of the aggressor,” prompting Sana’a, according to his account, to proceed with military intervention.

Aburas, who is acting as foreign minister in the Houthi government, said the intervention was driven by “religious and moral responsibility” and grounded in international law. He added that it was not intended to escalate the conflict, but rather to exert pressure to end what he described as aggression and to mitigate its impact on global supply chains, energy prices and the broader economy.

He stated that military operations were directed solely at the United States and Israel, warning that any country joining what he described as the aggression could become a target. He also called on the UN Security Council to adopt a binding resolution under Chapter VII to halt military operations in