Costa Urges Houthi De-escalation Amid Red Sea Ship Attacks

European Council President Antonio Costa has urged the Houthi movement to de-escalate immediately, as the European Union condemned recent attacks linked to the group inside Yemen, against Saudi Arabia and on shipping in the Red Sea.

The EU's condemnation was issued on Tuesday, when the bloc described the violence as a growing threat to regional stability and to civilians caught in the conflict.

In a phone conversation with Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Costa reaffirmed the EU's full support for the Yemeni government and its efforts to rebuild peace and stability. He also conveyed the bloc's solidarity with Yemen's leadership at a difficult time.

Costa wrote on X that the war in Yemen was becoming more intense and that the humanitarian situation was deteriorating, affecting millions of people. He said the EU stood firmly with the government and its peace initiatives.

He went on to call on the Houthis to stop attacks without delay, lower tensions and resume dialogue under UN auspices. In his view, a lasting peace can only come through an inclusive political solution that includes all Yemeni stakeholders.

The latest EU statement follows an earlier condemnation by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of a fatal Houthi strike on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. In an October 11 statement, Guterres described the attack as deeply shocking and said it had reportedly killed 12 people and injured hundreds of civilians.

Guterres added that deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure violates international law, and that such attacks must stop immediately.

Saudi Arabia's civil aviation authority said the October 10 attack hit the airport's passenger terminal. It reported 12 deaths and 309 injuries.

Among those killed were four Saudi nationals and eight foreign residents, including citizens of Bangladesh, the United States, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Palestine and Sudan.

Following the attack, the Houthi group said it was prepared for reciprocal measures with Saudi Arabia, while also expressing a readiness to keep airports, seaports and humanitarian facilities out of the military escalation. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has promised a strong response to the strike.