The US and 11 other countries condemned attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and warned the militant group of potentially severe consequences if their attacks continued.
“We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews,” said a statement issued by the US, alongside Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, the UK, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands and New Zealand.
“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways,” it added.
The statement came as oil prices rise and Houthi rebels claimed another attack on a merchant vessel in the Red Sea, which handles nearly 15 per cent of global seaborne trade.