Washington, D.C. – On December 17, 2024, U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking announced that the United States is rallying international support for a United Nations campaign aimed at disrupting supplies to the Houthi militia, which is designated as a terrorist organization.

In a statement reported by Arab News monitored by Barran Press, Lenderking emphasized the need to enhance the effectiveness of efforts to prevent the Houthis from accessing foreign weapons. He noted that the UN's verification and inspection mechanism is not equipped or authorized to conduct interception operations, and discussions are underway with partners to consider changing its mandate.

“We all need to close the gaps," Lenderking said, stressing that this approach requires a shift in mindset and focus beyond merely escorting ships. He highlighted that the number of commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea has halved in the past year due to Houthi activities.

Last week, Lenderking visited the UN verification and inspection mission in Yemen, based in Djibouti across the Red Sea, which is focused on inspecting vessels arriving at ports controlled by the Houthis to intercept weapon shipments.

Despite a UN Security Council-imposed arms embargo, the verification and inspection mechanism established in 2016 has limited capabilities to intercept ships.

Since the beginning of 2024, a U.S.-led coalition has conducted airstrikes targeting Houthi positions across various regions in Yemen in response to Iranian-backed militia attacks on commercial shipping in the Red and Arabian seas.