Arab News | Italy expresses support for Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks

RIYADH: The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, on Wednesday reiterated his country’s condemnation of recent Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia.

Speaking during a telephone conversation with his Saudi counterpart, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Tajani expressed solidarity with the Kingdom as it defends itself against attacks on civilian infrastructure by the Iran-backed militia in Yemen.

“I also thanked the Saudi authorities for continuing to ensure the safety of our compatriots present in the country,” he wrote in a message posted on social media platform X. “We want to promote a diplomatic solution to the Yemeni crisis, supporting the efforts of the United Nations.”

The ministers also discussed efforts to ensure freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been blocked by Iran since February, and in the Red Sea, where it has been threatened by the Houthis, to maintain commercial maritime traffic and enhance Gulf security.

Tajani said an effort to strengthen Operation Aspides, a naval defense mission launched by the EU in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in February 2024, “is decisive for security in the region and for the protection of shipping lanes.”

At least 20 people have been killed and more than 350 injured since Oct. 6 in a series of Houthi missile and drone strikes targeting King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Abha Airport and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam.

On Tuesday, the Saudi Cabinet warned the armed group that they would face consequences for the repeated attacks against the Kingdom. Ministers also pledged to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, also threatened in recent months by the Houthis, and commended the international Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen for its military operations targeting the militia.