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Ambassador Dorothy Shea
Deputy Representative to the United Nations
New York, New York
December 30, 2024
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Assistant Secretary-General Khiari and Dr. Knights, for your enlightening presentations.
The United States denounces the Houthis’ recent assaults on Israel and affirms Israel’s entitlement to self-defense.
The Houthis initiated a severe series of attacks against Israel in December, showing blatant disregard for the lives of civilians. One strike reportedly harmed over a dozen individuals on a playground in Tel Aviv.
In light of the Houthis’ ongoing aggressions, the United States reiterates our appeal for this Council to consider further actions to mitigate the escalating threats from the Houthis and to hold Iran responsible.
It is evident that the Houthis are entirely backed by Iran, facilitating long-distance and lethal strikes on Israel, including civilian infrastructure, as demonstrated by the Houthis’ propaganda bragging about their use of cutting-edge hypersonic missiles.
Iran’s supply of these and other deadly armaments to the Houthis breaches the arms embargo imposed on the group by this Council.
This Council has the duty to respond to Iran’s blatant breaches of its resolutions and its support of terrorist factions. Every member of this Council—especially those maintaining direct communication with Iran—should urge its leaders to prevent the Houthis from executing assaults that endanger civilians.
We reaffirm our request for this Council to implement measures aimed at strengthening the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism. UNVIM is an essential tool for ensuring that arms and related materials are not unlawfully trafficked by Iran and other malicious entities to the Houthis.
The United States, for its part, will not hesitate to safeguard its own personnel, regional allies, and international shipping routes.
On December 16, U.S. forces executed a targeted airstrike against a significant command and control center operated by Iran-aligned Houthis within territory controlled by the Houthis in Sana’a.
This facility served as a coordination hub for Houthi operations, including assaults on U.S. Navy vessels and merchant ships in the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Furthermore, during an operation on December 21, U.S. forces intercepted multiple Houthi one-way attack drones and an anti-ship cruise missile over the Red Sea.
These measures were consistent with international law and represented the United States’ inherent right to self-defense. They do not signify a change in our strategy regarding other conflicts.
It is also crucial that Israeli military actions, particularly in densely populated regions, be coordinated and executed in a manner that does not jeopardize the lives of civilians or civilian infrastructure.
We are grateful that WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and his team remain safe after an Israeli strike on Thursday impacted part of the Sana’a airport near their location. Dr. Tedros traveled to Yemen on behalf of the UN for work we all consider vital.
We endorse the efforts of the UN and humanitarian partners—including the WHO—who are delivering essential health, nutrition, water, sanitation, and hygiene support to the people of Yemen despite facing exceedingly hazardous conditions.
It is high time for the Houthis to halt their reckless and destabilizing actions, and this Council must ensure that there are repercussions for their conduct.
Colleagues, we are at an especially perilous moment in the region. It is essential that we all strive to alleviate tensions.
Just under a year ago, we united in adopting Resolution 2722, which demanded the Houthis immediately halt all attacks on merchant and commercial vessels.
The United States is eager to extend the Resolution’s reporting request by an additional six months to guarantee the Council has accurate and prompt information.
We believe this reporting should also encompass data about the origin of the ballistic missiles and advanced drones utilized in the increasingly sophisticated strikes.
We express our gratitude to Japan for collaborating with us on these resolutions and will seek the support of incoming members of this Council as well.
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