Rashad Al-Alimi, the President of the Yemeni Leadership Council, in his recent meeting with the ambassadors of the European Union and the Netherlands, reiterated the Yemeni government's determination to rebuild state institutions and warned against efforts to turn the Bab al-Mandab Strait into another "Hormuz."
Warning About Escalating Tensions
In this meeting, Al-Alimi referred to the recent escalation of Houthi attacks, particularly around the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the fronts of the western coast of Taiz province. He stated that the Yemeni government was not the initiator of this round of tensions and accused the Houthis of reigniting conflicts, including attacks on civilians and refugee camps.
He emphasized that defending the Bab al-Mandab Strait and Yemen's coasts not only helps maintain the country's sovereignty and security but also ensures international security and one of the most important maritime corridors for trade, energy supply, and food delivery.
Need for Effective International Cooperation
Al-Alimi called for strengthening international partnerships to enhance the Yemeni government's capacity to protect this strategic waterway and pointed to the connection between the escalating tensions and Iran's pressure strategy. According to him, Tehran is attempting to shift the costs of international pressure onto regional countries and exacerbate the regional and global economic crisis by threatening energy facilities and supply chains.
He urged the international community not to view the parties equally responsible for the tensions and stressed the need to identify the instigator of the escalation. Al-Alimi also called on the European Union, the United Nations, and donors to provide immediate assistance to the displaced and support local authorities.
He also highlighted the necessity of taking stronger measures to prevent the smuggling of weapons and military technologies to the Houthis and implementing relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions. Al-Alimi reminded that economic, humanitarian, and developmental support for the Yemeni government is essential to strengthen stability and warned that "a peace based on a weak government while militias retain their weapons is merely a ceasefire until the next round."
