Saudi Arabia calls for restraint after air strikes on Yemen

CAIRO - Saudi Arabia called for restraint and "avoiding escalation" in light of the air strikes launched by the United States and Britain against sites linked to the Houthi movement in Yemen, the kingdom's foreign ministry said on Friday.

Saudi Arabia, which has in recent months engaged in peace talks with Yemen's Houthis, was closely monitoring the situation with "great concern," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"The kingdom emphasizes the importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea region, as the freedom of navigation in it is an international demand," the ministry added.

The Houthi movement, an Iran-aligned group that controls much of Yemen after nearly a decade of war against a Western-backed and Saudi-led coalition, has emerged as a strong supporter of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war against Israel.

The group has been attacking commercial ships it says are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports.

The chief negotiator for the Houthis, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said on Thursday the group's attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea do not threaten its peace talks with Saudi Arabia.