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G7 foreign ministers called on Iran to end its arming and support for the Houthis in a joint statement released after their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States condemned in the strongest terms the unacceptable continued strikes carried out by the Houthis in Yemen and against Saudi Arabia, according to a Reuters report from New York. “We call on the Houthis to immediately cease all military actions, all threats and attacks against civilian shipping, and to return to the political process in good faith,” the statement said, as carried by BBC News on September 22, 2026. The ministers described the actions as a dangerous pattern of escalation that risks further exacerbating the conflict, undermining international trade and creating global economic instability.
Recent Houthi advances included the seizure of territory along Yemen’s western coast, with The National reporting that the group captured the port city of Mokha and strategic islands giving it effective control of the Bab al-Mandab strait. Thousands of refugees have fled the area in recent days, BBC News reported, as fighting intensified against Saudi-backed forces. The G7 statement highlighted that this escalation represents a threat to regional and global energy security, a point echoed across coverage by Arab News and Al-Monitor. The critical shipping route handles a substantial share of international maritime traffic according to the ministers’ assessment.
The statement was issued as senior Iranian officials prepared to address the UN General Assembly, Reuters noted in its dispatch dated September 21, 2026. Iran has provided the Houthis with weapons, funding, training and technical support over the years though Tehran denies directly directing their operations, The National reported in its September 22 article. The G7 alleged that such support violates past UN Security Council resolutions, Arab Times coverage indicated. The ministers reaffirmed their backing for the legitimate government in Yemen.
“Looking forward, we will continue to support the legitimate Government of Yemen and reaffirm our strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Yemen,” the G7 ministers stated according to the joint communique published by multiple outlets. This position builds on earlier G7 expressions of concern over Iran’s regional activities, including a 2024 statement on ballistic missile transfers to Russia that similarly called for an immediate halt to such support. The current focus on Yemen comes amid a protracted conflict that began when the Houthis seized Sanaa in 2014, as detailed in historical reporting from Reuters.
Houthi actions have previously disrupted civilian shipping in the Red Sea, leading to widespread rerouting of vessels and higher costs for global commerce, according to industry observations referenced in The National’s analysis. The G7 warned that continued escalation could create broader economic instability, a theme consistent across reports from Arab News and US News and World Report. The ministers stressed the need for the Houthis to engage constructively in peace efforts to prevent further deterioration in the region.
