S/PV.9836 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2025/33, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Greece and the United States of America. The Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 12 votes in favour, none against and 3 abstentions The draft resolution has been adopted as resolution 2768 (2025). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting.

In January 2024, the Security Council adopted resolution 2722 (2024), which underscored the importance of the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of all States in the Red Sea and unequivocally demanded the Houthis immediately cease their attacks on merchant and commercial vessels. The Houthis have not heeded that resolution and in recent months have launched additional complex attacks against vessels in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and surrounding waterways. Those attacks threaten international peace and security with negative implications and impede global commerce and flows of humanitarian assistance. In addition to extending the requirement for reporting by the Secretary-General under resolution 2722 (2024), today’s resolution (resolution 2768 (2025)) reaffirms our condemnation of Houthi actions and reiterates the Council’s demand that the Houthis cease these unacceptable and increasingly sophisticated attacks. The resolution also reaffirms the importance of all Member States adhering to the arms embargo under resolution 2216 (2015), including to deprive the Houthis of weapons, training and all other equipment they need to carry out the attacks. Extending this reporting and including information on the weapons we all know Iran is supplying the Houthis will help to ensure that the Security Council has accurate and timely information to inform its deliberations over how best to address Houthi actions going forward. And it calls on the Houthis to release the crew of the MV Galaxy Leader, who continue to be held against their will.

Greece joins the United States as co-penholder for this important Security Council resolution (resolution 2768 (2025)) with a strong sense of responsibility and the belief that through collective engagement with all Member States, the Security Council can raise a unified voice for stability in Yemen and the Red Sea region. We extend our sincere gratitude to outgoing co-penholder Japan for the serious engagement and support demonstrated in their two-year tenure on this matter. We express our appreciation to all member States of the Security Council for their open and constructive contributions to this resolution. Maritime security and freedom of navigation in the Red Sea is under extreme pressure. The Houthis’ constant attacks against vessels are still disrupting international commercial shipping, exposing the vulnerability of supply chains and heavily affecting global trade lanes. The attacks have a direct impact on us all. Maritime security conditions remain degraded and are expected to further deteriorate, while re-routing of shipping companies continues in favour of safer, but costlier, alternative maritime routes. Furthermore, we are still witnessing the Houthis’ ongoing aggressiveness and escalatory actions through the launching of unjustified attacks, with the systematic use of advanced weaponry, such as anti-ballistic missiles and drones, even against civil infrastructure, including oil terminals under the control of the Government of Yemen. The humanitarian repercussions are also severe. We need to put an end to this, by looking thoroughly into the origins of the use of advanced weaponry, and by preserving the applicability of the targeted arms embargo, as established in resolution 2216 (2015). As a maritime nation and a leading force in the European Union Naval Operation Aspides, Greece will contribute to upholding respect for maritime security, the freedom of navigation and the protection of seafarers, in full compliance with international law. The lives and well-being of seafarers must be an unconditional priority and must always be protected. We hope that the resolution adopted today will be a strong call by all Security Council Member States for a comprehensive and inclusive political settlement in Yemen as the only path towards peace and stability in the region.

As a nation deeply invested in the security and stability of the Red Sea region, we voted in favour of the resolution just adopted (resolution 2768 (2025)). Today’s vote reflects our deep commitment to maritime security in Red Sea waters, which are vital to our region and to global commerce and stability. As one of the Member States responsible for maintaining maritime security, we understand the gravity of the current situation and its implications. We are gravely concerned about the maritime attacks in the Red Sea and their economic, humanitarian, security and environmental implications. Resolution 2768 (2025) represents a positive step, but its implementation requires careful consideration As a nation that has experienced the devastating impact of maritime insecurity, we recognize that lasting solutions must address the root causes of the conflicts and fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of coastal states in the Red Sea. Somalia is committed to working with all parties to achieve those objectives. We believe that the security of the Red Sea must remain primarily the responsibility of its littoral States, but with robust international support and cooperation. In conclusion, in our trilateral discussions with Egypt and Eritrea, Somalia recently reaffirmed that we are committed to enhancing cooperation and strengthening our collective security framework to address maritime insecurity in the Red Sea and beyond. The path forward requires patience, wisdom and unwavering commitment to diplomatic solutions. We must avoid actions that could lead to further escalations, while working tirelessly to address the legitimate security concerns of all stakeholders. We are ready to work to ensure that the Red Sea remains what it has been for millenniums, not just a vital maritime corridor but a bridge of peace and prosperity connecting nations and peoples.

The Russian Federation abstained in the voting on the resolution prepared by our Greek and American colleagues on the situation in the Red Sea (resolution 2768 (2025)). Let me start by saying that this document is the logical extension of the original resolution 2722 (2024), about which we had serious questions. The idea underpinning it — ensuring the safety of navigation in the waters off Yemen, including the Red Sea — is something that we support overall. But unfortunately, its practical implementation did not live up to expectations. Today’s resolution was put together in an imbalanced and politicized manner. The most important thing is that the American and Greek proponents are painting a one-sided picture. If one were to judge the situation in the waters off Yemen using only the text of this resolution, one would be led to believe that the only destabilizing factor in the region is what is being done by Ansar Allah. The language in the text leaves out the most important aspect of the situation on the ground, namely, the aggressive military campaign led for more than a year now by the so-called international coalition led by United States and the United Kingdom against a sovereign country. The bombing of Yemen continues regularly. As justification for their illegal actions, Washington and London are using the same infamous resolution 2722 (2024), despite the fact that they were told numerous times that its provisions cannot be used in this case and that one cannot refer here to the right of self-defence under Article 51 of the Charter of the Charter of the United Nations. Russia is not justifying what is being done by the Houthis. We condemn any steps that impede the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, and we call on the leadership of Ansar Allah to show restraint and not allow escalatory steps that could compound the situation in the region, including in the waters off Yemen. But for the sake of fairness, we must say that, over the recent several months, the frequency of Houthi attacks on commercial vessels has decreased. The most recent report of the Secretary-General on the matter states that there were no attacks on commercial vessels in December. What does take place regularly are strikes by the coalition led by the United States and its satellites. We do not understand the logic of our American colleagues. On the one hand, they call on the Council to work together and say that they are committed to using diplomatic methods to achieve a settlement in Yemen and talk about how important it is to make sure that Yemen receives humanitarian assistance. On the other hand, For example, on 10 January, the so-called international coalition and Israel conducted a major coordinated strike on Yemen. Sana’a and the coastal cities of Al-Hudaydah and Ras Isa were hit, and the ports there basically stopped functioning. There were victims. It is already clear today what kind of consequences the bombing will have for future humanitarian assistance in Yemen, and that is if it is going to be possible to continue humanitarian operations at scale at all. That means that ordinary Yemenis — women, children and the elderly — will suffer from those actions. As an outcome of their prolonged confrontation with Ansar Allah, the United States and the United Kingdom not only did not achieve the declared goal — the safety of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden — but they injected a considerable degree of instability in the region. Moreover, they de facto became parties to the Yemeni conflict. How does that correlate with their statements about the need to normalize the situation in this Arab State? At the same time, everything points to the fact that the military potential of the Houthis has not undermined as a result of the aggression by the United States and its satellites. Washington and London must understand that there is no prospect for their misadventure. But they prefer to explain the military sustainability of the Houthis via the supply of advanced weaponry from abroad. In conclusion, we would like to recall that the normalization of the situation in the Red Sea is impossible without the stabilization of the situation with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We all understand that the demands of the international community remain the same, that is, an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages and detainees and the restoration of full and unimpeded humanitarian access into Gaza. All of that should make us seek a sustainable and just solution to the Palestinian issue on the basis of a two-States solution and in line with the known Security Council resolutions.

I would like to thank the Permanent Missions of the United States and Greece for presenting the resolution that we adopted today (resolution 2768 (2025)). We reiterate a message that we sent during the deliberations on the situation in Yemen this morning (see S/PV.9835): as a maritime nation, we strongly reject attacks that imperil international maritime security and hamper the transit of vessels, thereby creating a direct impact on global supply chains. The Republic of Panama, through its efficient, neutral administration of the Panama Canal, reaffirms its commitment to the right of navigation, maritime security and respect for sovereignty and international law. We urge all parties to uphold the rights to navigation as a fundamental principle of international law. With the adoption of resolution 2722 (2024), the Council assumed its responsibility to ensure the protection of international law and maritime security, given the prevailing regional situation in the Red Sea, an area that is crucial not only for economic development and the free flow of international trade, but also for the maintenance of peace in the region. However, the repeated attacks throughout 2024 have demonstrated the urgency of strengthening the resolutions adopted by the Council. The systematic and continuous attacks on commercial vessels have no justification, and we therefore call for respect for the Charter of the United Nations, international law and the provisions of the resolution, and to cease attacks immediately. We trust that the diplomatic efforts under way in the Middle East will lead to a definitive end to the clashes and lay the bases for lasting solutions to the conflicts in the region. First, for some time now, the Houthis have been attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea and its nearby waters, interfering with the normal order of international trade, destabilizing the global supply chain and negatively affecting regional peace and stability. China expresses its concern over this. The right of commercial vessels of all countries to navigate in the waters of the Red Sea, in accordance with international law, should be respected and the safety of navigation channels in the waters of the Red Sea should be safeguarded. The Houthis should heed the concern of the international community and stop attacking civilian vessels. Secondly, the United States and United Kingdom military operations against Yemen have been going on for a year now, causing serious civilian casualties and infrastructure damage. Recently, the Houthis and Israel have carried out frequent attacks on each other, escalating tensions as a result. This series of development demonstrates that focusing only on vessel attacks is not sufficient to resolve the dilemma facing Yemen and the Red Sea. China calls on all parties to show restraint, promote de-escalation and seek a comprehensive solution. During this process, the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Yemen should be respected, and attacks on Yemeni civilian infrastructure must cease. Thirdly, the tensions in the Red Sea are a significant manifestation of the spillover of the Gaza conflict. We regret that the Council resolution just adopted fails to clearly indicate the correlation between the situation in the Red Sea and the Gaza conflict. At present, there has been significant progress in the Gaza ceasefire. China welcomes that progress. We hope that the realization of a durable ceasefire in Gaza can help to create conditions favourable to calming the tense situations in the region.

Denmark voted in favour of this resolution (resolution 2768 (2025)), and we welcome its adoption. We commend the penholders, the United States and Greece, for their efforts and for their open and constructive approach throughout the negotiations. Today’s resolution will ensure that Security Council continues to receive regular reporting on Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, a key matter of which the Council must remain actively seized. As is often the case in the Chamber, today’s adoption is a product of compromise for everyone. During the negotiations, Denmark supported stronger language, emphasizing the threat of the Houthis’ continuous attacks in Red Sea against the provision of humanitarian aid, as well as the marine environment, as clearly highlighted by the attack against the MV Sounion tanker in 2024. Despite this, we believe that the resolution sends a strong signal. It demands that Member States stop arming the Houthis and prevent them from acquiring arms to carry out further attacks. More must be done to enforce the arms embargo and hold the perpetrators accountable. Denmark is a small country, but we are large maritime nation. We remain committed to ensuring the freedom of navigation and the stability of global supply chains in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden for the benefit of global trade and development. It is essential that the international community continues to uphold the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in accordance with international law. Neither State nor non-State actors can be allowed to take that freedom away. Today’s adoption sends a clear message, a message of firm condemnation of the Houthi attacks, for which there is absolutely no justification. They must stop.

Sierra Leone thanks the co-penholders on resolution 2768 (2025), Greece and the United States, for their efforts on a critical issue with Sierra Leone stated previously, in January 2024 (see S/PV.9527), and we reiterate today our belief that the Security Council should pronounce itself with a unified voice to protect maritime security, navigational rights and the freedom of all vessels of Member States in the Red Sea. Furthermore, in several of our statements in the Council, including on this agenda item and on the situation in Yemen, we have condemned the Houthis attacks on maritime vessels in the Red Sea. In the broader context, we have also called for efforts to support the Yemeni peace process and expressed concern about the ongoing regional dimension and escalation. Sierra Leone therefore voted in favour of resolution 2768 (2025), in view of the principle to protect the navigation rights and freedom of vessels of all Member States and the threat posed to seafarers, owing to the current situation in the Red Sea. We welcome the changes made to resolution 2768 (2025) in relation to Member States defending their navigational rights, which, in our view, is consistent and must be consistent with international law and ensures that the Council has the primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security. We note the reference, in operational paragraph 3 of the resolution just adopted, of the need to address the root causes of these attacks. In this regard, we welcome the announcement of a deal to secure a ceasefire and hostage release in Gaza. We echo the words of the Secretary-General and call on all relevant parties to uphold their commitments and ensure that the deal is fully implemented — in our view, in line with international law and resolutions of the Security Council. Let me conclude by reiterating the need for all stakeholders to ensure that this resolution is effectively implemented, not only to save lives but also to ensure the maintenance of maritime security in the region of the Red Sea, which is essential for the stability of global supply chains and economic development.

Guyana voted in favour of the resolution renewing the reporting request for the Secretary-General to provide monthly reports on Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea until 15 July 2025 (resolution 2768 (2025)). We thank the United States and Greece for their efforts. Guyana believes that the reporting mandate created by resolution 2722 (2024) is an important contribution to maritime security in the Red Sea and to addressing the negative impacts of the Houthi attacks. Establishing the facts on the ground is important for accountability, whether that accountability comes now or in the future. Additionally, Guyana welcomes the inclusion of new language on the use of advanced weapons by the Houthis in their attacks, an issue which was raised in the latest report of the Panel of Experts on Yemen (see S/2024/731) and which warrants the attention of the Security Council. Guyana would have welcomed the inclusion of a reference to the environmental impacts of the attacks in the Red Sea, as indicated in the report of the Panel of Experts, as well as the impact of the attacks on the provision of humanitarian aid to the people of Yemen. Those elements were supported by many delegations, and it is regrettable that they were not taken into account. Nevertheless, Guyana welcomes the adoption of the resolution, as it allows for the continued flow of critical information on the ongoing security situation in the Red Sea. Finally, we express our commitment to working with all Council members in addressing the security situation in the Red Sea and the wider Middle East. We continue to condemn Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, which undermine international maritime security and jeopardize critical flows of food, fuel and humanitarian assistance. We call for their immediate cessation. Furthermore, we call for the full implementation of resolutions 2140 (2014) and 2216 (2015), regarding Yemeni sanctions. We also reiterate our serious concerns about the potential environmental impact of such attacks, made evident by the recent situation with the MV Sounion tanker, which threatened a significant oil spill in the region. We regret that that aspect could not be reflected in the current resolution and hope to see it incorporated in a future text. Finally, we join others in expressing hope about the positive news coming from the region. We welcome the ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, a long- overdue step that will allow for the return of hostages and offer a glimpse of hope to the people in Gaza. It will also enable the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid. We must intensify our efforts towards lasting peace and a two-State solution. We commend the mediators who contributed to this important breakthrough. A ceasefire is a first step towards peace between Israel and Palestine and for the region more broadly.

The Republic of Korea voted in favour of this resolution (resolution 2768 (2025). First, I would like to express our gratitude to the co-penholders — the United States and Greece — for their efforts in preparing the resolution and facilitating cooperative engagement with Council members. The Republic of Korea also appreciates the constructive efforts made by the co-penholders to reflect the escalating tensions in and around Yemen since last year. As a peninsular country surrounded by the sea on three sides and a nation whose commercial vessels frequently navigate the Red Sea, we have great interest in this important issue. Indeed, the Houthis have continued reckless and unlawful attacks in the Red Sea and beyond, while posing serious threats to the freedom of navigation and maritime security. The use of advanced weapon systems by the Houthis is increasingly linked to regional instability. In that regard, we welcome that today’s resolution successfully emphasizes the importance of implementing the arms embargo, while reflecting escalating tensions driven by the Houthis, hostilities and concerns about the advanced weaponry they are using. Today’s adoption of this resolution also sends a clear message from the Security Council that we are closely monitoring all developments on the ground. To conclude, we would like to reiterate that the Council must strive to ensure the full implementation of all relevant Security Council resolutions, including the targeted arms embargo.

I shall now make a statement in my capacity as the representative of Algeria. The vote in abstention cast by Algeria today is consistent with our previous votes last year on resolution 2722 (2024) and 2739 (2024). My delegation’s decision to abstain on this resolution (resolution 2768 (2025)) should not be interpreted as a reservation regarding the Secretary-General’s monthly reporting on the situation in the Red Sea. Neither is it consent for the attacks by the Houthis on merchant and commercial vessels. To the contrary, we continue to value the relevance of such reporting and to recognize the importance of maritime and regional security, the freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers. In conclusion, we continue to urge maximum restraint and dialogue to prevent further violence, ensure regional stability and save the Yemeni people and the entire region from additional suffering. A Yemeni-led and Yemeni owned-peace process, grounded in agreed political settlement frameworks, is more crucial and urgent than ever for achieving lasting regional peace. I now resume my functions as President of the Council. There are no more names inscribed on the list of speakers.