Iran must stop arming Houthis in Yemen, G7 says ahead of UN General Assembly

Iran must "end its arming of and support" for the Houthis in Yemen, the foreign ministers of G7 nations have said in a joint statement. The G7 also condemned "in the strongest terms" Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia, adding that the recent escalation in fighting against Saudi-backed forces in Yemen represented a threat to regional and global energy security. Thousands of refugees have fled Yemen in recent days after the Iran-backed group seized territory along the country's Red Sea coastline, including near the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical shipping route for global trade. The statement comes ahead of the annual UN General Assembly in New York, where senior Iranian officials are due to speak.