Tammy Bruce, Deputy Representative of the United States to the United Nations — Statement at the UN Security Council on the Situation in the Middle East (Yemen) ( 10193rd Meeting)

13 July 2026

Thank you, Mr. President. And thank you to our briefers today.

Once again, this Council is called into an emergency session to discuss the Iranian regime’s efforts to threaten its neighbors in the Gulf and undermine efforts toward peace in the region.

On July 3, an Iranian flight from Tehran arrived in Sanaa in the Houthi-controlled territory. The purpose of this flight was to ferry IRGC personnel, including drone and missile experts, in support of Houthi terrorism—under the guise of transporting Houthi officials to the late-Supreme Leader’s funeral.

This kind of support enables the Houthis to terrorize the Yemeni people and threaten freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waterways.

We have not seen Iran attempt such outwardly brazen support for the Houthis since the 2015 aborted Mahan Air flights to Sanaa. In fact, Houthi leaders publicly celebrated the recent flight as a successful evasion of international efforts to isolate the terrorist group.

These actions constitute a violation of Security Council Resolution 2216. Resolution 2216 prohibits the supply, sale, or transfer of arms and related material, technical assistance, training, or other support to the Houthis related to military activities or the use of arms and related materiel, including drones and missiles.

The United States has repeatedly called out this long-running record of violations.

For nearly a decade and with Iranian assistance, the Houthis have steadily demonstrated increasing military sophistication—including through frequent cross-border drone and missile attacks and reported use of cluster munitions. That mounting capability is, in itself, evidence that the Houthis have received external support in violation of the targeted arms embargo.

Moreover, this morning, a second Iranian flight entered Yemen despite explicit public instructions from the Republic of Yemen government not to do so.

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s willful disregard for the sovereignty of Yemen and the collective decisions of this Council is simply unacceptable.

Similarly, we have seen Iran’s blatant disregard of Security Council Resolution 2817. With 136 cosponsors, this resolution represents a unified international demand that Iran cease its attacks.

The Iranian regime nevertheless chooses to defy Resolution 2817 with continued attacks, both directly and through its proxies, against its neighbors and maritime shipping.

Last week, Iran fired Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and missiles against three civilian, commercial vessels transiting the Omani territorial waters—in contravention of international law.

These strikes had the potential to injure and kill mariners and to impose significant environmental damage. One vessel, a Qatari liquified natural gas tanker, was left to burn and further threaten vessel traffic in the Strait.

Then, Saturday evening, Iran struck a container ship en route to the UAE. One Indian national remains missing.

These attacks are not born of any legitimate principle. Rather, as an advisor to the supreme leader said Sunday, this stems from Iran’s desire to unlawfully co-opt a critical waterway for use by Iran as a strategic deterrent.

Beyond the maritime space, in the past week Iran has launched UAVs and missiles against Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE. Qatar’s Interior Ministry reported that three people, including a child, were injured by falling debris from interception operations after Iranian attacks on Sunday.

These attacks are unacceptable—and they are a deliberate provocation that contradicts the diplomatic progress forged between the United States and Iran in May.

The Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran is based on a straightforward understanding. That is, the United States will suspend military action and that Iran will refrain from threats and the use of force.

In the few weeks since the MOU’s signing, Iran has repeatedly defied this understanding.

The United States will not unilaterally implement the MOU while Iran continues to threaten safe passage protected by the MOU.

Simply put, if Iran shoots at ships, we will immediately respond with force.

U.S. military operations are a response to these threats—in self-defense and defense of others.

Furthermore, as Secretary Rubio stressed during his trip to the region last month, the United States will continue to stand with our partners in the region. Make no mistake, this is not a talking point. It is a commitment that we will back—and are backing—with action.

The United States stands with our partners in the Gulf, and we stand with the Republic of Yemen government against the Iranian-supported Houthi terrorist threat.

We remain committed to working with Council members to use all available tools, including sanctions, to support a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen, and to safeguard international peace and security.

And finally, we once again urge the Council to communicate to Iran, unequivocally, that these unambiguous actions are contrary to international law and are unacceptable.

Thank you, Mr. President.