US Justifications for Bombing Yemen Are Pathetic: Lavrov

On Thursday, the Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov described the justifications put forth by the United States for bombing Yemen as "pathetic," comparing the actions to those in Libya in 2011.

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"There is an outrage in what is now being done with regard to Yemen. Washington's exculpatory statements look very pathetic," he said.

Lavrov reminded the U.S. and the United Kingdom that "no one authorized the bombing of Yemen, just as no one authorized NATO to bomb Libya in 2011."

"Undoubtedly, the U.S. together with the UK and some of their other allies have simply trampled on every conceivable norm of international law, including the United Nations Security Council resolution of commercial navigation," he said.

"Now, the most important thing is to stop the aggression against Yemen because the more the U.S. and the UK bomb, the less desire the Houthis will have to engage in dialogue," he pointed out, emphasizing that Saudi Arabia had achieved after many years dialogue with Yemen.

"How realistic it is to restart those conversations now? When they can take place?" the Russian Minister asked, recalling that the West turned Libya "into a black hole."

Moscow has condemned the airstrikes against the Houthi rebels, who are backed by Iran, in response to their missile launches against ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

On Wednesday, the U.S. launched a new wave of attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen hours after declaring the Shiite group as "terrorist."

A few hours earlier, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had confirmed that a U.S. ship suffered a missile attack in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, which caused no injuries.

Lavrov will personally participate in the United Nations Security Council debates on the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine from January 22 to 24.