UN Security Council to vote on resolution after Houthi attacks in Red Sea

WASHINGTON

The UN Security Council will vote Wednesday on a US-drafted resolution that would condemn Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

"We're working closely with the UN Security Council members to pass a resolution to show international solidarity on this critical issue," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Kirby said the text of the resolution, which will likely be voted on later Wednesday, "unequivocally" demands that the Houthis cease attacks.

"It also underscores the Security Council support for navigational rights and stresses that the transit passage of merchant and commercial vessels through the Red Sea must be able to continue unimpeded," he added.

In a statement with allies, the US warned that the Houthis will "bear the responsibility for the consequences" should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways.

The US, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand and the UK called for the immediate end of the "illegal attacks" and the release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews.

The Houthis have targeted vessels in the southern Red Sea and warned they will attack all Israel-bound ships. They say the attacks are to support Palestinians as they face Israel's "aggression and siege" in Gaza.

The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently announced the creation of a multinational mission -- Operation Prosperity Guardian -- to counter the Houthi attacks.