RIYADH: Saudi Arabia said it strongly condemned the storming of the now-closed US embassy in Sanaa by Yemen’s Houthi militia and the detention of a number of its local staff. The Iran-backed Houthi militia breached the compound that used to house the embassy and detained dozens of Yemeni security employees of the US government that had been guarding the facility. The Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed that “this criminal act carried out by the terrorist Houthi militia is a flagrant violation of international norms and laws, and the ministry also calls for the speedy release of the American embassy employees.” The foreign ministry also reiterated the need for the international community to stand firm against violations committed by the Houthi militia in Yemen, and the importance of implementing international resolutions to reach a comprehensive political solution that guarantees security and stability for Yemen and its people. The US and the UN Security Council had previously also denounced “in the strongest terms” the intrusion and seizure of the compound. A statement approved by all 15 members of the UN’s most powerful body on Thursday called for “an immediate withdrawal of all Houthi elements from the premises” and “the immediate and safe release of those still under detention.” Dozens of Yemeni citizens and their family members have been detained and mistreated by the Iran-aligned Houthis because they worked for the US in a caretaker capacity since the embassy there closed in 2015, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Friday, calling for their immediate release. “The Houthis must immediately release unharmed all Yemeni employees of the United States, vacate the embassy compound, return seized property, and cease their threats,” Blinken said. (With AP and Reuters)