Organization of Islamic Cooperation holds meeting on Houthi attack on Saudi oil tankers

JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) will hold a meeting at the level of permanent representatives of member states next Wednesday to discuss the Houthi militia attacks on two Saudi oil tankers and targeting freedom of shipping and international trade in the Strait of Bab Al-Mandeb and the Red Sea.
The meeting, which comes at the request of Saudi Arabia, will be addressed by OIC Secretary-General Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, the chairman of the delegation of Saudi Arabia and other representatives.
A final statement will be issued at the end of the meeting, which will be presented at the next meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers to be held in the UAE.
The attack, which took place in international waters west of the militia-controlled port, left the tanker with minimal damage.
A coalition statement said that the tanker was attacked at 0115 (2115 GMT) west of Yemen’s Hodeidah port, but did not name the vessel or describe how it was attacked.
“The Saudi oil tanker was subjected to slight damage due to the attack by the Houthi militia,” it said. “Thankfully the attack failed due to immediate intervention of the coalition’s fleet.” It provided no details. “The continuation of such attempts proves the real threat this militia poses. The port of Hodeida is still the starting point of terrorist attacks,” Arab coalition spokesman Col. Turki Al-Maliki said.
The attack was met by a regional outcry. The Arab Parliament condemned the targeting of the oil tanker in the Red Sea, calling it “a serious threat to international peace and security.”