British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for International Development Penny Mordaunt affirmed today that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has the right to defend itself against security threats including missiles launched from Yemen. They asserted that the United Kingdom supports the Saudi-led Coalition's efforts to restore legitimacy in Yemen, as accepted by the UN Security Council. In a joint statement issued, the two ministers disclosed that the United Kingdom has worked hard with the Kingdom Saudi Arabia and other international partners to strengthen the UN shipping inspection mechanism to ensure that all ports can remain open to all commercial and humanitarian supplies, adding that all sides must redouble their support for the UN's efforts to reach an inclusive political peaceful settlement which addresses the root causes of the conflict. "The UK welcomes the appointment of the new UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, who brings with him extensive experience in conflict settlement," they added. "A UN Panel of Experts has concluded that Iran is in non-compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions for failing to take measures to prevent the supply of Iranian-made ballistic missiles to the Houthis," the two ministers confirmed. They stressed "if Iran is genuinely committed to supporting a political solution in Yemen, as it has publicly stated, then it should stop sending in weapons which prolong the conflict, fuel regional tensions, and pose threats to international peace and security, questioning that "why Iran is spending significant revenue in a country with which it has no real historical ties or interests, rather than using its influence to end the conflict for the good of the Yemeni people. In the statement, the two ministers called upon countries of the region and the international community to redouble their efforts to allow unhindered commercial and humanitarian access throughout Yemen, adding that the UK will continue to play its part in restoring peace and security in Yemen.
