The Arab Gulf states and Egypt expressed, on Friday, their deep concern about the recent developments in the Red Sea region and the air strikes carried out by the United States and Britain on Houthi sites in Yemen.

The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jassim Al-Budaiwi, stressed the importance of maintaining maritime security and waterways in the region “and confronting activities that threaten the security and stability of the region and the world, including the threat to maritime shipping lines and international trade.”

Al-Budaiwi added, “The Gulf calls for restraint, avoiding escalation that may lead to dire consequences in light of the events taking place in the region, and avoiding harming civilians in Yemen.”

For its part, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its deep concern over the escalation of military operations in the Red Sea region, and the air strikes that were directed to a number of areas within Yemeni territory.

Egypt stressed “the inevitability of a comprehensive ceasefire and an end to the ongoing war against Palestinian civilians, to spare the region from further factors of instability, conflicts, and threats to international peace and security.”

The UAE had previously expressed its deep concern about the "repercussions of the attacks" in the Red Sea region, considering that they represent an "unacceptable threat to the security of the region."

This came in a statement by the UAE Foreign Ministry, hours after US-British raids on sites it said were affiliated with the Houthis in Yemen.

The UAE Foreign Ministry said in the statement that Abu Dhabi “expresses its deep concern about the repercussions of the attacks on maritime navigation in the Bab al-Mandab region and the Red Sea.”

It stressed that it “represents an unacceptable threat to global trade, the security of the region and international interests.”

She stressed "the importance of preserving the security of the region and the interests of its countries and peoples within the frameworks of international laws and norms."

The Houthi group announced that it had received 73 strikes by American and British aircraft, causing the death of 5 of its members. It faced the strikes with defiance and determination to continue targeting the international shipping line in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.