G7 urges Iran to end Houthi support ahead of UN General Assembly

September 22, 2026 at 09:21 AM2 min

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G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming and support for the Houthis in Yemen in a joint statement issued ahead of the UN General Assembly. The ministers also condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying the escalation threatens regional and global energy security. The statement came as Houthi forces seized territory along Yemen's Red Sea coast, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Key Facts

G7 foreign ministers demanded Iran end its arming and support for the Houthis in Yemen.
The G7 condemned Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and said the escalation threatens regional and global energy security.
At least six people were killed in Saudi strikes on the Yemeni city of Mokha, including two children and a woman.
The Houthis seized control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint, earlier this month.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced the UK will provide defensive air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi Arabia using a Voyager aircraft from RAF Akrotiri.

G7 Statement

The foreign ministers of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States issued a joint statement following a meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. They called on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith. The statement condemned in the strongest terms Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia and said the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces represented a threat to regional and global energy security.

Military Escalation

Thousands of refugees have fled Yemen in recent days after the Iran-backed group seized territory along the country's Red Sea coastline, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait. Earlier this month, the Houthis took control of Bab al-Mandab, a narrow maritime chokepoint where the southern Red Sea flows into the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean. Saudi Arabia has retaliated with hundreds of air strikes in the region, and the Houthis have launched hundreds of drones and missiles at cities and infrastructure in south-western Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh. At least six people were killed in Saudi strikes on the strategic Yemeni city of Mokha, the AFP news agency reported, citing Houthi-affiliated media.

International Support

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the UK will provide defensive air-to-air refuelling support for Saudi Arabia, involving a single British Voyager aircraft based out of RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus. Burnham said the announcement followed a request from Saudi Arabia for military support, which he agreed to on the advice of Defence Secretary Wes Streeting and Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has also requested military support from President Donald Trump, US media reported. Trump has wavered for weeks over whether to act on a Saudi request for help in fighting the Houthis, the New York Times reported on Monday.