MOSCOW, July 23. /TASS/. Russia calls for the soonest de-escalation of tensions in Yemen and the Red Sea, the Russian foreign ministry said following a meeting between Russian presidential envoy for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Yemeni Ambassador to Moscow Ahmed Salem Al-Wahishi.
"The two diplomats exchanged views on the development of the situation in Yemen and the Red Sea," it said. "The sides stressed the necessity of the soonest de-escalation of tension in this strategically important region of the world and the need for efforts to prevent the spread of the armed confrontation. They reiterated the importance of consolidated efforts toward establishing an UN-brokered sustainable nationwide intra-Yemeni dialogue."
The sides also discussed the development of Russian-Yemeni partnership in the trade-and-economic and humanitarian areas, the ministry said, adding that the meeting was initiated by the Yemeni side.
Following the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since mid-November, dozens of civilian ships have been attacked by the Houthi in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In response to Ansar Allah's actions, the US authorities announced the creation of an international coalition and preparations for an operation codenamed Prosperity Guardian, expected to ensure freedom of navigation and protection of ships in the Red Sea. Since then, the United States and the United Kingdom have been regularly delivering strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.