Security Council’s 10,033rd meeting to discuss the Middle East

United Nations

Sphinx News: Ahmed Ali

In its 10,033rd meeting, the Security Council convenes to discuss its relevant resolutions that deal with targeted sanctions on members of the Yemeni Houthis.

Originally established in 2014, Security Council Resolution 2140 was adopted by members of the Security Council to ensure international peace, security, and stability at the expense of Houthi personnel. The resolution sought to deter the military potential and access to weaponry of Yemeni Houthis, at a time when the group had captured and consolidated political power within the state capital of Sana’a.

With Yemen already in a UN-led political transition in 2011 under transitional Yemeni leader President Hadi, following the revolution that ousted former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, 2014 saw the rise of the Houthis. The rise of the Houthis would later spark a state civil war, fought between a wide array of regional and local actors.

In response to the political instability and military escalation within the state of Yemen, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2140, establishing a sanctions regime (targeted asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo) for individuals and entities within Yemen. The resolution would also create a committee to oversee implementation of the measures, and a mandate for a Panel of Experts to monitor compliance.

On 13 November 2024, the Security Council adopted Resolution 2758, which renewed the sanctions regime originally established under 2140 (i.e., it extended the asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo on targeted Yemeni personnel) until 15 November 2025, and extended the Panel of Experts’ mandate until 15 December 2025.

Throughout 2024, the 2140 Committee continued active monitoring and enforcement. On July 30, 2024, the Committee removed former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son Ahmed Ali Abdullah Saleh from the sanctions list. In May 2024, the Committee considered the Panel of Experts’ midterm update, followed by review of its final report on September 19, 2024, which was made public on October 31, 2024. The report highlighted the “unprecedented” scale of military materiel and technology transfers to the Houthis from external sources and issued several recommendations to the Security Council and the Committee.

On November 5, 2024, the Chair of the 2140 Committee, Ambassador Joonkook Hwang (Republic of Korea), briefed the Security Council on the Committee’s work and the Panel’s findings. In response to a recommendation in the Panel’s report, the Committee agreed on follow-up action and, on December 2, 2024, issued a statement condemning violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in Yemen. A formal briefing on the Committee’s work would then be scheduled a year later, for November 5, 2025.

Reviewing today the work of the 2140 Committee before the Council was Chair of the Committee, Ambassador Sangjin Kim, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations. In his briefing, Ambassador Kim spoke of the most recent report published on October 17th, 2025 by the Panel of Experts and coordinated with the Committee. Kim told members of the Council that, “As of today, there are 10 individuals and one entity on the sanctions list of the committee.” Kim adds that throughout the year, the committee worked hand in hand with the Panel of Experts, meeting three times (June 17th, October 3rd, and October 31st) in informal consultations.

In her response, the Representative of the United Kingdom highlighted in the report by the Panel of Experts, “the complexity of Houthi smuggling and financing.” The Representative followed this notion by pledging the United Kingdom’s full support to work with other members of the Council to “disrupt these activities (by the Houthis), and maintain a pathway of peace in Yemen.”

The Representative of the United States echoed the sentiments of the United Kingdom, stating that the 2025 report by the Panel of Experts serves as a “wake-up call for this Council and for the world.” The report, he noted, shows clear systematic attempts by the Houthi forces to undermine the Security Council sanctions, allowing the group to acquire arms and other relevant materials to “menace their neighbors and restrict international commerce in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.” The Representative added, “These illicit transfers fuel Houthi attacks with drones and missiles, endanger commercial shipping, destabilize the region, and put innocent lives at risk.” The Permanent Representative assessed that this access to weaponry and other materials has allowed for “deadly Houthi terrorist attacks” and attacks on “civilians in Israel.” The Representative cautioned that, if allowed to act with impunity, the Houthis will be “emboldened to further threaten its neighbors,” citing recent calls by Houthi officials to target “Saudi infrastructure and endanger civilians.” His call was clear: the report by the Panel of Experts exposes the sophistication of the Houthis’ financial network, adding that the next step requires cooperation by Council members to “disrupt these illicit transfers of financial and natural resources.” The U.S. Representative ended his statement by mentioning China’s complicity in providing the Houthis with “dual-use components (goods, software, and technology that can be used for both civilian and military applications).” He said the origins of these components used to subsidize the Houthi military program, as mentioned in the report, show “many of these shipments originate in China.”

In response, the Representative of China met the U.S. statement with contempt, saying, “China has always taken a prudent and responsible approach to military exports, strictly controlling the exports of dual-use items such as drones.” The U.S. statement, he asserted, is comprised of “unreasonable accusations,” adding that China’s trade follows “market principles and WTO (World Trade Organization) rules.” The Representative further rejected the U.S. position, noting that within the report by the Panel of Experts “there is not a single word in this report that alleges China has violated the Security Council’s resolution or sanctions.” China’s Representative concluded by noting that, within the report, the United States has been in grave “violation of international law and causing indelible pain and suffering,” referencing the United States’ attack on April 28 of this year, where the U.S. military carried out an airstrike on a detention facility in Yemen, killing 68 migrants and leaving 47 others injured.