German FM urges Iran to pressure Houthis to end attacks on ships

BERLIN - German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expects Iran to exert its influence over Houthi militants in Yemen to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea, he said on Thursday.

"We condemn this in the strongest possible terms and expect Iran to exert its influence on the Houthis to put an end to it," said Wadephul at a press conference in Vienna with his Israeli and Austrian counterparts.

"This shows that we need an understanding with Iran as a whole, not only regarding the development, the possible development of nuclear weapons, but also regarding Iran's regional behaviour." 

Houthis sank two cargo ships in the Red Sea this week, the first flare-up in seven months in the Iran-backed group's years-long campaign to choke global shipping in protest over the war in Gaza and the plight of the Palestinians.

Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted more than 100 merchant ships travelling through the Red Sea, sinking four vessels, seizing another and killing at least eight sailors.