Amid the escalating Houthi attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, met today in the Saudi capital Riyadh with the US Ambassador Steven Fagin to discuss bilateral cooperation and the latest developments in Yemen.
The meeting addressed the discussion of bilateral cooperation between the two countries, developments in the Yemeni national arena, including relevant regional and international developments, and ways to enhance joint coordination between the two countries.
The President briefed the US Ambassador on the challenges facing Yemen due to Houthi attacks on maritime cargo ships and international shipping lanes, including the catastrophic repercussions on the living conditions of Yemeni citizens.
During the meeting, President Al-Alimi emphasized Houthi’s violations of human rights, their procrastination in paying salaries to employees, their continued military escalation, the siege of Taiz, and the recruitment of children.
He stressed the importance of supporting the Yemeni government, strengthening its reforms, and enabling it to control the entire national territory, including monopolizing arms and law enforcement authority, calling on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities in combating the smuggling of Iranian weapons to the Houthis.
In a related context, Prime Minister Dr. Ahmad bin Mubarak met today in Aden with UN Deputy Envoy Sarhad Fattah to discuss the latest developments in Yemen, the repercussions of the Houthi escalation, and the international pressure needed to push the group toward peace.
The Prime Minister affirmed the government’s and the Leadership Council’s keenness to support regional and international efforts to reach a comprehensive political settlement.
These political developments come amid tensions between the United States and Iran, especially after several commercial ships in the Red Sea were attacked by the Houthis in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that began on October 7, 2023. This prompted the United States to launch airstrikes against Houthi targets inside Yemen to weaken their capabilities, which threaten global trade in the Red Sea. According to US officials, the Houthis have launched more than 45 attacks against commercial and US naval vessels operating in the Red Sea.
It is expected that these meetings and political developments will increase pressure on the Houthis to push them towards peace and end the economic and security suffering of the Yemeni people.
