The UN Security Council has approved an arms embargo on leaders of Yemen's Shiite Houthi rebels and their key supporters, ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son.

The vote Tuesday was 14-0, with Russia abstaining.

The resolution is aimed at ending the Houthis military campaign against supporters of Yemen's embattled president, Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, and the rebels' attempt to take over the strategic Mideast country.

It demanded that all Yemeni parties, especially the Houthis, end violence and "resume and accelerate'' UN-brokered negotiations to continue the country's political transition.

Addressing the UN Security Council shortly after the vote, Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Moscow abstained because some of the proposals for the resolution, drafted by council member Jordan and Gulf Arab states, were not included.

"The co-sponsors refused to include the requirements insisted upon by Russia addressed to all sides to the conflict to swiftly halt fire and to begin peace talks," said Churkin.

"We insisted that the arms embargo needs to be comprehensive; it's well known that Yemen is awash in weapons," Churkin said. "The adopted resolution should not be used for further escalation of the armed conflict."

Saudi-led airstrikes in support of Hadi and escalating fighting on the ground between the Houthis and Hadi's supporters have pushed the Arab world's poorest nation to the brink of collapse.

Asset freeze on former president’s son

The UN resolution also imposed a global asset freeze and travel ban on Ahmed Saleh, the former head of Yemen's elite Republican Guard, and on Abdulmalik al-Houthi, a top leader of the Shiite Houthi group.

Saleh's father, former Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and two other senior Houthi leaders, Abd al-Khaliq al-Houthi and Abdullah Yahya al Hakim, were blacklisted by the Security Council in November. Yemeni soldiers loyal to the former president are fighting alongside the Houthis.

The resolution imposed an arms embargo on the five men and "those acting on their behalf or at their direction in Yemen" -- effectively the Houthis and soldiers loyal to Saleh.

It demands that the Houthis stop fighting and withdraw from areas they have seized, including Sanaa, the capital. It also expressed concern at "destabilizing actions" taken by former president Saleh "including supporting the Houthis' actions".

(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)