The United States and Britain defended their military strikes against the Houthis in Yemen as legal and in accordance with international law, while Russia condemned the attacks by the U.S. and U.K., asserting that they "do not respect international law and are unrelated to the right of self-defense under the United Nations Charter."
U.S. Ambassador to the Security Council, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stated that the attacks carried out by the U.S. in conjunction with the U.K. aimed to reduce the Houthis' capabilities to attack ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Thomas-Greenfield added that "the attacks were necessary and proportional and consistent with international law... and part of the United States' exercise of its right to self-defense." She emphasized that the U.S. sought to address the threat of attacks on ships in the Red Sea without resorting to military force, but was unsuccessful, noting that the strikes followed a complex Houthi attack in the Red Sea using drones and missiles targeting a U.S. vessel.
Thomas-Greenfield stated that her country does not seek to escalate the conflict in the region but "wants to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea."
Meanwhile, British Ambassador to the Security Council, Barbara Woodward, said: "We took some necessary, limited, and proportional measures for self-defense in cooperation with the United States yesterday," reaffirming London's commitment to defending international trade. She added: "Houthi attacks against ships in the Red Sea must cease, and we call on them to de-escalate tensions."
On the other hand, the Russian representative at the Security Council condemned the U.S. and U.K. attacks, noting that they "do not respect international law and are unrelated to the right of self-defense under the United Nations Charter." Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya remarked: "These two countries carried out a major strike on Yemeni territory. I am not speaking about an attack on a group within the country, but rather an attack on the entire people of the country. Aircraft, warships, and submarines were also used."
