RIYADH: Saudi Arabia is following US and British air strikes on neighboring Yemen with “great concern,” a foreign ministry statement said on Friday, urging against escalation. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the military operations taking place in the Red Sea region and the air strikes on a number of sites in the Republic of Yemen,” the statement said, calling for “self-restraint and avoiding escalation.” The statement stressed the "importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea region, where freedom of navigation is crucial." On Thursday night, US and British forces launched air strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, calling it a “defensive action” after attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Air strikes involving fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles hit a number of Houthi positions, Western media reported. US President Joe Biden said in a statement that he “will not hesitate” to order further military action if needed. “Today, at my direction, US military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways,” Biden said. He called the strikes a “direct response” to “unprecedented” attacks by the Houthis, “including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.”