India Condemns Houthi Attacks on Saudi Arabia, Flags Red Sea Risks
India condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian and economic assets, warning they undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation.
India on Tuesday voiced serious concern over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, warning that such strikes undermine regional stability and endanger freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, including civilian infrastructure and economic assets, were unacceptable. "Such attacks undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb," he said, adding that India hoped for an early restoration of peace and stability in the region.
Jaiswal's remarks came amid a sharp escalation in Middle East tensions following the Houthi strikes. He noted that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed the latest developments with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the margins of the BRICS summit on Sunday. The situation in the Red Sea region was also discussed, he said.
The Iran-backed Houthi group targeted Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, a key artery for crude supplies. With the Strait of Hormuz disrupted by the conflict involving Iran, the pipeline has served as a critical bypass for Saudi oil exports. The attacks have also raised concerns over the safety of the Bab-el-Mandeb shipping lane, a vital maritime chokepoint between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
India had condemned the latest wave of attacks on Saudi oil installations last week. The strikes occurred as the United States ramped up economic sanctions against Iran, with the Houthis largely operating from Yemen.
Responding to a question about an Indian national missing after an attack on a Panama-flagged vessel off Oman, Jaiswal said search and rescue operations were continuing. The ship carried 14 Indian nationals, of whom 13 were rescued. He thanked Omani authorities for their assistance.
"Targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers, civilians and civilian infrastructure in the region is unacceptable to us," Jaiswal said, urging the earliest restoration of free and safe navigation and the flow of commerce through international waterways in the region. He added that India continues to receive energy supplies from that part of the world.