TOKYO: Japanese Foreign Minister MOTEGI Toshimitsu and his Yemeni counterpart, Afrah Al-Zouba, held a telephone call to denounce recent Houthi attacks and urge Iran to press the group for restraint.

Minister Motegi opened the call by offering condolences for the casualties caused by these attacks, noting that they destabilize the region and threaten the safety of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea.

He emphasized that Japan strongly condemns any aggression against civilians or civilian infrastructure and any actions that impede maritime traffic.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Motegi added that he had recently urged Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Seyyed Abbas Araghchi to encourage the Houthis to exercise restraint.

Minister Motegi stressed that stability in Yemen is vital to the security of the entire Middle East. As a core member of the Yemen Maritime Security Partnership (YMSP), Japan remains committed to supporting the Yemeni government, including providing capacity-building assistance to the Yemeni Coast Guard to ensure safe navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Yemeni Minister Al-Zouba expressed appreciation for Japan’s support and its public condemnation of the Houthi attacks. She provided an update on the current situation regarding the Houthis and outlined the Yemeni government's ongoing efforts.

The two ministers also discussed the situation in Iran, agreeing on the necessity of rapid de-escalation and the importance of maintaining free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

They concluded by affirming that stability in Yemen and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is critical to the international community, particularly regarding global energy security, and pledged to continue working in close coordination.