Sanaa slams UN envoy over biased statement on Red Sea operations
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Sanaa accuses the UN envoy of ignoring Israeli crimes as Yemen defends Red Sea operations targeting Israeli-linked vessels in support of Gaza.
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Yemenis burn US and Israeli flags during an anti-US and anti-Israeli weekly rally in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, June 20, 2025 (AP)
The Foreign Ministry of the government in Sanaa denounced on Friday what it called the biased stance of UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg regarding recent developments in the Red Sea. The Ministry said the envoy’s statement lacked neutrality and failed to acknowledge the root causes of the escalation, namely the ongoing Israeli crimes in Gaza.
According to the ministry, the statement should have reflected concern over the continued Israeli aggression against Yemen, which has included direct attacks on civilian infrastructure. It also criticized the absence of any demand in the envoy’s remarks for the Israeli occupation to halt its military strikes.
The ministry emphasized that Yemen is committed to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, clarifying that the naval restrictions apply solely to Israeli-linked vessels. This policy, it said, is a direct consequence of the international community’s failure to end the blockade on Gaza and stop the mass atrocities committed by the Israeli regime for over 21 months.
Yemen defends stance against 'Israel'
Yemen's armed forces have reiterated that their operations in the Red Sea are strictly directed at vessels linked to the Israeli regime or involved in the aggression on Gaza. Recent targets included the ETERNITY C, bound for Eilat, and Magic Seas, intercepted in the Red Sea.
Grundberg had previously expressed “deep concern” over Yemeni military activity in the Red Sea, labeling the operations a violation of maritime law and UN Security Council Resolution 2722 (2024). He warned of potential environmental damage, including marine pollution, and called for the protection of maritime trade. However, the Foreign Ministry in Sanaa rebuked these claims, saying they reflect a double standard that turns a blind eye to the bombardment of Yemeni territory by the Israeli occupation and its allies.
Yemen's government reiterated that the Red Sea operations are part of its broader strategy to pressure the Israeli regime to halt its assault on Gaza and lift the blockade. Officials in Sanaa argue that these actions are a legitimate form of solidarity with the Palestinian people and a necessary response to international silence in the face of war crimes.
Yemen sinks 'Israel'-bound ship
The Yemeni Armed Forces released video footage on Wednesday confirming the successful targeting and sinking of the ETERNITY C, a commercial vessel headed toward the occupied port of Umm al-Rashrash (Eilat), on July 9, 2025.
The video, shared by the official Yemeni military media outlet, documents multiple communications made by the Yemeni Naval Forces to the ETERNITY C’s crew. Using the ship’s call-sign D5DC2, naval operators attempted to contact the vessel’s captain, informing him that rescue boats were en route and that a third vessel, the BARYON, was also available to provide evacuation assistance. The footage captured only a single response, in which the ship’s captain confirmed the vessel’s identity.
#WATCH | Footage released by the Yemeni military media shows the targeting and sinking of the ETERNITY C vessel as it was heading toward the port of Umm al-Rashrash in occupied #Palestine.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) July 9, 2025
The video featured the ship's crew failing to comply with Yemeni navy directions, and the… pic.twitter.com/S3gG5e6QKp
Yemeni officials emphasized that the communication was meant to assure the crew that their lives were not in danger and that they would not be harmed if they cooperated.
The video then shows the launch of multiple naval ballistic missiles from various locations. The footage includes ground-based angles as well as aerial views via drone, capturing the moment of impact as several explosions rocked the vessel. Plumes of smoke and debris engulfed the ship, with follow-up drone footage revealing extensive structural damage.
