UNITED NATIONS, March 15. /TASS/. Russia is ready to do whatever it takes to prevent destabilization in the Middle East, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Dmitry Polyansky has told the UN Security Council.
"We call on the international community to continue working towards ending the Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip - the resolution of that issue will be key to stabilizing the situation not only in the Red Sea but also in other parts of the Middle East, where Israel's actions provoke righteous anger and indignation," he said.
"Another key factor is the long-standing Palestinian issue," Polyansky continued. "Without a just solution to it based on agreed international legal parameters, the region will forever be a time mine. An "ostrich position" will not work and will only create risks of further destabilization across the region and beyond. Russia is ready to do what it takes to prevent such a scenario."
The Russian diplomat added that the current escalation "may reverse all progress on finding a comprehensive political settlement to the conflict in Yemen."
"The internal political situation in the country is still relatively calm, but the window of opportunity is closing rapidly. In the current circumstances, the work of the Special Envoy is even more complicated, including in the context of finalizing the road map for an inter-Yemeni settlement," Polyansky continued, adding that "Russia continues its close contacts with all leading Yemeni political forces and key regional partners"
Following the escalation of the conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Ansar Allah movement warned that it would carry out strikes on Israeli territory and prevent ships affiliated with it from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait as long as the operation in the Palestinian enclave continued. Since mid-November last year, the Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response to Ansar Allah's actions, US authorities formed an international coalition and launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in an attempt to ensure freedom of shipping and security in the Red Sea. On January 12, the armed forces of Britain and the United States, using planes, ships and submarines, for the first time hit the Houthis’ facilities in a number of cities in Yemen. The targets included the rebels’ missile and drone sites and radars.