Yemen Monitor/ Sana’a/ Exclusive:
Yemeni Foreign Minister Shay’e Al-Zandani said on Tuesday that his government is keen for Russia to play a significant role in resolving the crisis in the Red Sea.
This came during a press conference following negotiations with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, according to the Russian news agency TASS in its Russian version.
The agency quoted Al-Zandani as saying: “As for the escalation in the Red Sea, it has a negative impact on security around the world. We are interested in the Russian Federation playing an important role in resolving such situations, as well as the crisis in the [Middle East] region in general, through politics and diplomacy and by using its contacts with other countries.”
According to the Yemeni minister, the Middle East still faces many challenges, and the region “may slip into the abyss.” But from the minister’s point of view, the Russian Federation can play an effective role in overcoming the escalation.
The Yemeni Foreign Minister added that “Russia has a pivotal role in international politics, considering its [permanent] membership in the Security Council and its position on the international stage.”
The Yemeni Foreign Ministry’s website stated that Al-Zandani said that “the ongoing escalation by the Houthi militias in the Red Sea and their targeting of international shipping lanes has had a negative impact on international trade and the global economy, and has even gone beyond that to threaten the marine environment by continuously targeting ships and oil tankers.”
He stressed “the need for strong positions from the international community and support for the Yemeni government in its efforts to end the war and achieve peace.”
Shay’e Al-Zandani arrived in Moscow on Monday, amid reports of Russia attempting to arm the Iranian-backed Houthi group and the presence of Russian military experts assisting the Houthis in Red Sea attacks.
US intelligence agencies have warned that Russia may arm Houthi militants in Yemen with advanced anti-ship missiles in response to the Biden administration’s support for Ukrainian strikes inside Russia with US weapons, according to the US newspaper The Wall Street Journal. Later, CNN said that Moscow had backed down from arming the Houthis but had sent military experts.
Since the end of last year, the Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and more recently have expanded their operations to the Indian Ocean. They have said that they are targeting ships linked to Israel, which is launching a brutal attack on Gaza Strip. However, the Yemeni government and experts say that the Houthis’ goals are domestic, aimed at escaping local crises and improving their image in the region.
In response, the US and Britain have been conducting airstrikes against Iranian-backed Houthi militants since January 11. As a result, the Houthis announced an expansion of their operations to include US and British ships.
From November to August, the US Department of Defense (Pentagon) recorded more than 220 attacks on US commercial or military vessels off the coast of Yemen, including nearly 120 attacks since the start of US airstrikes on the Yemeni mainland.
