ISTANBUL

The Yemeni government on Friday condemned a recent attack by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on a port in Hadhramaut.

“All options against the attack are on the table,” said state news agency Saba, citing a statement by the government.

The statement urged all countries to take firm steps to condemn the attack.

The Houthis have shown with the attacks that they are insistent on escalating the war and humanitarian crisis and further disrupting international navigation security, said the statement.

Governor Mebhut bin Madi said Thursday that the Houthis attacked the Al-Dabba Port in Hadhramaut with two unmanned aerial vehicles.

In a written statement, the Houthis said: "We carried out the attack as a minor warning to prevent a ship attempting to loot crude oil from the Al-Dabba Port.”

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

*Writing by Zehra Nur Duz.