New York, July 24 (SANA)U.N. Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg expressed concern on Friday over renewed Houthi militia attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, warning that the escalation could push Yemen toward renewed confrontation and undermine prospects for a political settlement.

In a statement posted by his office on X, Grundberg said there is still an opportunity to change course and move toward negotiations that place the interests of Yemen and its people at the center of the process.

He added that a negotiated political settlement in Yemen would also contribute to broader regional stability.

Grundberg stressed that, amid rising tensions, the priority remains preserving the gains achieved under the 2022 truce, preventing a return to wider conflict, and creating the conditions for an inclusive political process.

On July 20, the Houthi militia escalated its threats to maritime navigation by announcing what it described as a maritime blockade against Saudi Arabia, days after renewed fighting with Yemen’s internationally recognized government for the first time in years.

On Thursday, the group claimed responsibility for missile and drone attacks on the Saudi oil tankers Insilia and Layla.

The Houthi threats have drawn widespread international condemnation and renewed calls to safeguard freedom of navigation in accordance with international law and the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.F.J./ABD