Iran-backed Houthis stormed UN offices in Sanaa, detaining 11 staffers just days after an Israeli strike killed top Yemeni officials, sparking global outrage and fears of wider escalation.
The Houthi rebels in Yemen, backed by Iran, launched a brazen assault on the United Nations Sunday, detaining at least 11 employees in coordinated raids on humanitarian agencies in the capital Sanaa, according to the Associated Press.
Armed Houthi forces stormed the local offices of the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and UNICEF, confiscating property and detaining staff. Abeer Etefa, spokesperson for WFP, confirmed the raid occurred Sunday morning, while Ammar Ammar of UNICEF said the agency was still working to determine how many personnel had been taken.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres denounced the raids, condemning both the forced entry into WFP headquarters and the seizure of UN property, demanding the “immediate and unconditional release” of the detained employees.
The dramatic escalation came just days after an Israeli airstrike leveled parts of Sanaa, killing Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi, Foreign Minister Gamal Amer, Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed al-Medani, and other senior Houthi officials.
UN envoy Hans Grundberg expressed “great concern” over the Israeli operation, warning that Yemen risks becoming a new battleground in the wider regional conflict.
Meanwhile, in the Red Sea, the UK Maritime Trade Authority reported that a commercial vessel near Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, heard an explosion close by. While the crew was unharmed and the ship continued its voyage, British maritime security firm Ambrey later identified the vessel as Israeli-owned and Liberia-flagged, resembling ships previously targeted by Houthi forces.
With the Houthis now attacking both international organizations and Israeli-linked shipping, fears are mounting that the Yemen conflict is spiraling into a geopolitical flashpoint with global consequences.
