Western nations condemn Houthi attack on Yemen city of Marib

France, Germany, Italy, the UK and the US condemn Houthi attacks

Smoke billows during clashes between forces loyal to Yemen's Saudi-backed government and Houthi rebel fighters in Yemen's north-east province of Marib. AFP

Western governments on Thursday condemned the assault by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels on Marib city, Britain's Foreign Office said.

"We, the governments of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, condemn the sustained Houthi offensive on the Yemeni city of Marib and the major escalation of attacks the Houthis have conducted and claimed against Saudi Arabia," the ministry said.

It said renewed diplomatic efforts to end the Yemen conflict by UN special envoy Martin Griffiths, with the support of Saudi Arabia, Oman and the international community, offered the best hope for ending the war.

"We urge the Houthis to seize this opportunity for peace and end the ongoing escalation, " the ministry said.

“We reiterate our firm commitment to the security and integrity of Saudi territory, and to restoring stability and calm along the Saudi-Yemeni border.

“We reaffirm our strong support for a swift resolution of the Yemeni conflict, which will bring much-needed stability to the region and immediate benefit to the people of Yemen."

Saudi Arabia intervened in the conflict after a request from the Yemeni government, when the Houthis drove it from the capital, Sanaa, in 2015.

The Houthis have recently pushed towards the gas-rich region of Marib, aiming to take the government’s last stronghold in the country's north.