New York (South24 Center) 

The UN Security Council is expected to vote Tuesday evening (July 15) on a draft resolution extending the monthly reporting requirement for the UN Secretary-General regarding the Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea for an additional six months until January 15, 2026.

According to a Security Council Report, the voting is expected to take place during a Council session under the Maintenance of International Peace and Security agenda item at 3:00 PM New York time (10:00 PM Aden time). The draft resolution, authored by Greece and the United States as co-penholders on the Red Sea file, extends the reporting requirement while maintaining previous texts as contained in Resolution 2722 (January 10, 2024) and renewed by Resolution 2768 (January 15, 2025).

The report described the draft text as short and straightforward, consisting of only one preambular paragraph recalling previous resolutions and one operative paragraph extending the reporting period. The report noted that the wording faced no amendments or objections during the comment period, except for recurring reservations from Russia, China and Algeria regarding the original language of Resolution 2722, which they believe provides cover for the U.S. and British attacks in Yemen.

The vote comes amid continuing Houthi attacks on commercial vessels, most recently on July 6-7 when two cargo ships, Magic Seas and Eternity C, were targeted, resulting in the sinking of the vessels, and the deaths of at least four sailors and injuries to others. The U.S. has accused the Houthis of kidnapping some of the crew members of the second vessel.

The draft resolution also comes amid widespread condemnation by the Security Council members of the two attacks, along with separate statements from UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg and Secretary-General António Guterres urging the Houthis to cease such escalatory attacks.

In a related development, on Monday evening, the Council unanimously adopted Resolution 2786 extending the mandate of the UN Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) until January 28, 2026, based on a text drafted by the United Kingdom. The Security Council Report noted that the extension came despite U.S. pressure to terminate the mission's work, citing “field developments exceeding its mandate”, while Russia and other members emphasized its importance as a stabilizing factor and guarantee for humanitarian access through Hodeidah port.

The UNMHA extension resolution provides for a future review of the mission before November 28, 2025, to examine the viability of its continuation and options for modifying or terminating its mandate to achieve efficiency and appropriateness.

According to a letter from the Secretary-General to the 15-member Council in June, a growing number of ceasefire violations – averaging over 100 per day between June 2024 and May 2025 – highlight the fragile state of the region.