WASHINGTON — Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Abdallah Al-Mouallimi condemned the “destructive” role played by Iran through its support of the Houthi militias in Yemen and their attacks against the Kingdom. He called on the UN Security Council to take a “firm stance” against these attacks and urged Tehran to “seriously engage” in the ongoing negotiations over its nuclear program. In remarks at the Security Council’s monthly meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Al-Mouallimi highlighted the important initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia to resolve the Yemeni crisis. He said that it includes several steps that are in line with the UN vision that can help reach the desired political solution in the war-torn country. The solution would also be based on the three references: Security Council resolution 2216, the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and national dialogue outcomes. He thanked the Council for welcoming the Saudi initiative, urging its members to exert more pressure on the Houthis to seize this opportunity and move forward towards ending the suffering of the Yemeni people. He condemned the Houthis for their systematic attacks against oil facilities, civilians and civilian locations in Saudi Arabia. The attacks not only target the security of the Kingdom, but international energy supplies and threaten the lives of civilians, the ambassador said, calling on the council to take a firm stance against these violations. Saudi Arabia calls on Iran to engage seriously in the ongoing nuclear negotiations and to avoid escalation and exposing the security and stability of the region to more tensions, Al-Mouallimi stated. The Kingdom underscores the need for the international community to reach a stronger and long-term agreement that prevents Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons and developing the means to do so, he continued. The negotiations must take into account the deep concerns of the countries in the region over the escalatory steps Tehran is taking to destabilize the region, he remarked.