Yemeni foreign minister urges action to halt Iranian support for Houthis

Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah Al-Zouba discussed recent developments and the impact of Houthi escalation on Yemen’s security, the region, and international navigation with Neil Hop, the US chargé d’affaires to Yemen. The talks also addressed ways to support the government in facing current challenges.

During the phone call, Al-Zouba reviewed the situation along the western coast and Bab Al-Mandab, highlighting the displacement and damage to civilian infrastructure caused by attacks from the Houthi militia. She affirmed that the government is responding to the escalation responsibly, fulfilling its constitutional duty to protect citizens, restore full national control, and meet the needs of displaced and affected people, according to the Yemeni News Agency.

The minister stressed the importance of a unified international stance in supporting the government and Yemen’s sovereignty. She warned that Houthi escalation poses a strategic threat beyond Yemen’s borders, undermining regional and global security and stability, and endangering the interests of allies, partners, and the safety of international shipping and trade. Al-Zouba called for political positions to be translated into effective measures to stop the flow of Iranian weapons, funding, and military expertise to the Houthi militia.

She also cautioned against attempts by the Houthi militia to use misleading assurances as a cover to buy time, rearm, and prepare for further attacks inside and outside Yemen. Al-Zouba warned that the Houthis are seeking to entrench their control over the western coast and Bab Al-Mandab as a fait accompli, using these areas to blackmail regional countries and threaten global trade in service of Iran’s agenda. She emphasized that such messages will not deceive the international community or obscure the militia’s extremist nature and aggressive record, which is well known to Yemenis, regional states, and the world.

For his part, the US chargé d’affaires condemned the Iran-backed Houthi militia’s attacks and their threat to Yemen’s security, the region, and international navigation. He reaffirmed the United States’ support for the Yemeni government and people in confronting this escalation, and expressed Washington’s commitment to ongoing coordination and cooperation to enhance security and stability.