CAIRO: The United Nations on Saturday voiced concern that regional tensions involving Yemen could adversely affect efforts to end a years-long civil war in the country.
The United States and its allies last week launched a series of strikes targeting Yemen's Ansar Allah fighters after they had repeatedly attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea.
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg said he had noted "with serious concern the increasingly precarious regional context, and its adverse impact on peace efforts in Yemen."
He stressed "the need to protect Yemeni civilians, and to safeguard the progress of peace efforts in Yemen" made in recent months.
Calling for de-escalation, Grundberg urged all involved to"prioritise diplomatic channels over military options."
Earlier on Saturday, the US army said it had struck a radar facility in Yemen.
In recent weeks, the Ansar Allah has claimed a string of attacks on ships in the Red Sea - one of the most important shipping routes for world trade, against the backdrop of the ongoing Gaza war.
The strikes came a day after US and British forces hit scores of targets across the country, heightening fears that Israel's war with Palestinians could engulf the wider region.
Violence involving groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq and Syria has surged since the war in Gaza began in early October.
The Ansar Allah fighters, who say they are acting in solidarity with Gaza, have carried out a growing number of missile and drone attacks on what they deem Israeli-linked shipping in the key Red Sea international trade route.
Around 12 per cent of global trade normally passes through the Bab al Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea entrance between southwest Yemen and Djibouti.
But since mid-November, the attacks have affected trade flows when supply strains are already putting upward pressure on inflation globally.
Analysts said the Western strikes are unlikely to stop Ansar Allah.
They will "diminish but not end the threat to shipping", said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East Programme at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
The Ansar Allah withstood thousands of air raids while battling a coalition for more than seven years and fought six wars against Yemen's government between 2004 and 2010.
The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting on the strikes on Friday, days after adopting a resolution demanding the Ansar Allah immediately stop their attacks.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield warned no ship was safe from the Ansar Allah threat in the Red Sea.
Russian Ambassador Vassili Nebenzia denounced the "blatant armed aggression" against the entire Yemeni population. SEE ALSO P6
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