Doha, Jan 12 (UNI) The foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia on Friday called for exercising restrain and avoiding an escalation in the Red Sea area amid the airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom against positions of the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis, in Yemen.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is watching with grave concern the military operations in the area of the Red Sea and the airstrikes that have hit a number of targets in the Republic of Yemen. The kingdom affirms the importance of maintaining security and stability in the Red Sea area, where freedom of navigation is an international requirement in the interests of the whole world, and calls for restraint and avoiding escalation in the light of developments happening in the region," the ministry said in a statement on X.

On Friday, the US and the UK carried out 23 airstrikes against Houthi positions in four governorates of Yemen, including the governorates of Sanaa and Al Hudaydah, to hinder the group's ability to attack commercial vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis threatened that the UK and the US would pay a "high price" for this massive attack.

On Thursday, the US Central Command said in a statement that the Houthis have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea 27 times since November 19. The Houthis have previously announced their plans to prevent the passage of ships linked to Israeli companies or bound for Israel in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the latter's military actions in the Gaza Strip end.

UNI/SPUTNIK AKS