Sanaa: Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council announced a decisive shift in its approach to handling decisions on war and peace, declaring that the government will not allow the Houthis to monopolize these critical choices. This statement comes in the wake of a recent escalation marked by a Houthi attack on the port of Mokha in southwestern Yemen.
According to Anadolu Agency, Rashad al-Alimi, the chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, articulated this stance during a meeting with ambassadors from countries sponsoring Yemen's political process. He emphasized that while the Yemeni state did not initiate the latest escalation, it would not permit its commitment to peace to enable the Houthis to dictate the terms of conflict. Al-Alimi's office released a statement noting the impact of the Houthi missile and drone attack on Mokha, which resulted in civilian casualties and significant damage to the port's infrastructure and surrounding facilities.
The attack also affected a Saudi hospital, the immigration and passport authority, and local water projects, highlighting the broader escalation that has persisted for weeks. Al-Alimi reiterated that the government has consistently warned the international community about the challenges of achieving lasting peace with an armed group that wields ballistic missiles and controls decisions of war and peace.
Despite prioritizing peace and exercising restraint, facilitating air and port traffic, and cooperating with various international efforts, the Yemeni government now recognizes a shift in the political and military landscape. Al-Alimi warned that the era of Houthi attacks without repercussions has ended, underscoring that the state will no longer allow the Houthis to have unilateral control over confrontations.
He urged the international community to safeguard civilians and civilian infrastructure, honor state sovereignty, and oppose the use of missiles and drones to secure illegitimate advantages. The ambassadors strongly condemned the recent Houthi assaults on government forces, civilian sites, and economic facilities, including the port, as well as attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and commercial vessels.
The Houthi attack on Sunday near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait resulted in the deaths of at least seven civilians and military personnel and injured approximately 35 others, according to official Yemeni sources. Fighting has intensified along several Yemeni fronts since last month, causing numerous casualties on both sides. Yemen had experienced a relative lull since April 2022, following nearly 12 years of conflict between government forces, supported by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Iranian-backed Houthis, who seized control of the capital Sanaa and large parts of the country in 2014.