Yemen Monitor/Aden/Exclusive:
Timothy Lenderking, the US envoy to Yemen, has said that peace in Yemen will not be possible without the participation of Arabian Gulf countries.
He pointed out that the Houthis are losing the support of the international community.
Lenderking also stressed the need for a diplomatic solution to the civil war that has been raging in Yemen for a decade, pitting the internationally recognized government against the Iranian-backed Houthis.
“The Gulf countries are all united in their support for genuine peace efforts in Yemen,” he told The National News agency.
“And we can’t do this without the Gulf countries,” he added.
Lenderking also emphasized the US commitment to facilitating and supporting the peace process, calling for regional cooperation to push peace efforts forward.
“The United States wants to continue to support the peace process, and we will do everything we can to make that happen, and allow this peace process to move forward,” Lenderking said.
The diplomat traveled to the Middle East in March, visiting Saudi Arabia and Oman to continue “intensive” efforts to build on the UN-brokered truce in Yemen.
However, the peace process faces major obstacles due to the actions of the Houthis, who control the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other areas in the west of the country.
Earlier this month, the UN special envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, warned that the peace process is at risk of becoming “collateral damage” in the midst of a wider regional conflict, criticizing the Houthis for their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.
The armed group claims that the attacks are being carried out in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the Israeli genocide and war crimes in Gaza. But the Yemeni government, the United States and Britain say the main goal lies in the Houthis’ internal demands.
The attacks have prompted retaliatory strikes by the United States and Britain since January, which Lenderking stressed are focused on neutralizing the Houthi threat to maritime security.
The envoy said the Houthi attacks are “risky, reckless and irresponsible behavior.”
“This goes far beyond any kind of link to the crisis in Gaza… And this is very quickly end any kind of goodwill or support that the Houthis have had in the international community, and in the Security Council, and among the five permanent members of the Security Council,” he said, referring to the council’s five permanent members.
“The Yemeni people, want their country back. They want foreign fighters out of Yemen. They don’t want al-Qaeda, they don’t want ISIS or Daesh. They don’t want the Iranians,” he said.
Mr. Lenderking highlighted the lack of popular support for the Houthis inside Yemen, pointing to their lack of popularity and their rule by repression.
He called for a return to dialogue and peace efforts.
“Ultimately, the United States wants to get back to de-escalation and away from the attacks in the Red Sea and continue to focus on peace,” he added.
