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- Security Council members demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew
NEW YORK: The UN Security Council unanimously condemned the Houthi seizure and detention of UAE-flagged vessel Rwabee on Friday.
The cargo ship was seized by the militia in an Iranian-backed and planned operation from the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said.
In a statement drafted by the UK, the UN鈥檚 most powerful body demanded the immediate release of the vessel and its crew, urging the Houthis to ensure the crew's wellbeing and safety until their release.
Security Council members also called on all sides 鈥渢o resolve the issue quickly and underlined the importance of freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, in accordance with international law.
The seizure of the UAE-flagged Rwabee ship on Jan. 3 by the Houthis coincided with a massive memorial in Tehran on the second anniversary of the US drone stroke that killed a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, in Baghdad. The Houthis said they seized the ship off the coast of Hodeidah, Yemen鈥檚 main port, because it was carrying military equipment.
The Security Council 鈥渦nderscored the necessity of ensuring the crew鈥檚 safety and well-being until their release.鈥�
On Thursday, the UN mission monitoring implementation of a cease-fire and the withdrawal of rival forces from Hodeida and the two smaller ports of Salif and Ras Issa tweeted that as part of its routine weekly patrol it visited the port of Salif and neighboring areas where its team 鈥渟aw the Rwabee vessel from a distance and spoke to its crew members.鈥� It gave no details.
The taking of the Rwabee marked the latest assault in the Red Sea, a crucial route for international trade and energy shipments.
A statement from the Coalition said the Houthis鈥� actions were an act of 鈥渁rmed piracy鈥� involving the Rwabee, and said the ship was carrying medical equipment from a dismantled Saudi field hospital in Yemen鈥檚 distant island of Socotra.