Yemen Monitor/ Washington/ Exclusive:
The US stated on Saturday that it is not seeking a military solution against the Houthi armed group; despite persistent talk of potential US support for Yemeni government forces to attack the Houthis.
US Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking said in press statements, “We are not seeking a military solution in Yemen at this particular time.”
Lenderking added that pursuing a military solution “could bring more destruction to a country torn apart by years of war.”
He explained that “pursuing that would expose Yemen to more years of death, destruction, and military conflict,” considering that “it is necessary to consider the impact on Yemeni civilians, on the Yemeni economy and infrastructure, and the ability to transfer supplies and the ability of commercial goods to reach Yemen.”
Last week, Lenderking met with Gulf and Yemeni officials in Muscat and Riyadh, emphasizing steps to confront Houthi attacks, including identifying and intercepting illicit goods and weapons from Iran and deterring Houthi cooperation with regional and international actors he described as “malicious.” Last week, General Michael Erik Kurilla, commander of US Central Command, discussed with the Chief of Staff of the Yemeni Army, Lieutenant General Sagheer bin Aziz, intensifying efforts to “deter” Houthi attacks.
The US has an approach towards the Houthis but is constrained, leaving the US military engaged in combat operations without a clear path to an end, as the Yemeni Houthi group launches attacks on US, British, and Israeli commercial ships, saying it is in solidarity against the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.
In response, the US military led a Western naval coalition into a battle against the Houthis to curb their relentless attacks, but a year of intense fighting has not brought the US closer to ending the threat posed by the Houthis – and for now, a more aggressive approach does not seem to be the desired path.
