Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi received U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, on Tuesday in a meeting that addressed bilateral relations and prospects for enhancing cooperation across various fields.
The discussions focused on the latest developments in Yemen, with an emphasis on joint efforts to end the blockade imposed by the Houthi militia and to restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, which is under threat from Iran-backed Houthi attacks.
Ways to strengthen cooperation in protecting international waterways and ensuring the safety of commercial shipping were also discussed, according to Yemen’s official news agency.
Al-Alimi praised the U.S.s’ active role in enforcing the ban on smuggled Iranian weapons to the Houthis and its support in drying up the group’s financial resources.
He emphasized the urgent need for a collective global approach to support the Yemeni government in confronting economic and humanitarian challenges, as well as in bolstering its capabilities to combat terrorism and organized crime.
For his part, Ambassador Fagin reaffirmed the U.S.s’ commitment to supporting the Yemeni government in its efforts to safeguard international peace and security. He stressed the importance of continued cooperation between the two countries in confronting regional threats.
The U.S. Embassy noted that the meeting was extensive, covering U.S. efforts to end the Houthi blockade and restore freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
On March 15, former President Trump announced that he had ordered the U.S. military to launch a “major attack” against the Houthi group, later threatening to “completely eliminate” them.
Since November 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea using missiles, drones, and explosive-laden boats.
