Oman condemns strikes of 'friendly countries' on Yemen

Oman condemned on Friday the resort to military action against Yemen by "friendly nations," following the strikes carried out by the United States and Britain on Houthi military sites in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it is "closely monitoring with great concern the developments of the American-British bombardment that targeted several cities in the sisterly Yemeni Republic."

It added that it "cannot but condemn the resort to this military action by friendly nations, while Israel persists in its devastating bombing and siege of Gaza without accountability or punishment."

The ministry emphasized that Oman "has repeatedly warned against the expansion of the conflict and confrontation in the region as a result of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the occupied Palestinian territories," urging "all parties to cease escalation and military operations and focus on addressing the root causes of the crisis."

Oman maintains a neutral stance in the Yemen conflict while playing the role of a mediator between the Houthis and the regional states, militarily intervening to support the internationally recognized government in Sanaa.

The capital, Muscat, hosts key Houthi negotiators, including Mohammed Abdul-Salam, and has encouraged the release of prisoners between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.

Meanwhile, Kuwait stated that it is closely following "with great concern" the developments in the Red Sea, calling in a statement from its foreign ministry to maintain "security and stability in the Red Sea region and ensure the freedom of navigation."

The United Arab Emirates expressed "deep concern about the repercussions of the attacks on maritime navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea region, which constitute an unacceptable threat to global trade, regional security, and international interests."

AFP