Paris, July 23 -- France and Qatar on Thursday strongly condemned the Houthi strikes on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea, warning that the strikes threaten maritime security, regional stability and global energy supplies.

As reported by France 24, France called on the Iran-backed Houthis to halt their offensive operations, calling the strikes "irresponsible and a serious escalation."

"Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers are irresponsible and a serious escalation," a spokesperson for the French Foreign Ministry said at a press conference, urging the group to stop targeting commercial shipping.

The condemnation came after Yemen's Houthi rebel group on Wednesday (local time) claimed responsibility for an attack on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red...