President Al-Alimi: Supporting Government is the crucial solution to secure the Red Sea

  Aden

His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council, reiterated that supporting the Yemeni government to restore state authority and impose its control over the entire national territory is the only and decisive way to secure the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, the President of the Presidential Leadership Council downplayed the ability of the limited American and British air strikes to end the threat of the terrorist Houthi militia and its attacks on commercial, oil ships and international shipping lines.

He pointed out that the American and British strikes on Houthi bases would weaken the Iranian-backed militia, but the final solution would not be through air strikes alone.

He explained, "The threat comes from the ground, which is under the control of the militias. To confront it, it is necessary to restore the state's authority and impose its control over all regions, with the support of the international community."

He added, "This is the only way to secure the Red Sea."

He pointed out that "the West was constantly pressuring the legitimate government to accept political approaches regarding the settlement, which helped the continuation of (the Houthis)."

He added: "It seems that the West has now changed its view of the crisis and adopted a military approach after the political failure."

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council pointed out that the terrorist Houthi militias took advantage of the war in Gaza to shuffle the cards and evade their UN and international obligations, under the pretext of “supporting Gaza,” at a time when these militias are imposing a siege on Taiz city.

His Excellency addressing the Houthis, "Escape will not help... Lift the siege on Yemenis first."

The President stated that "Yemen was affected by the war in Gaza," and that the Houthi attacks on ships led to the militarization of the Red Sea, and broad alliances were formed to repel those attacks. Which caused a decline in the livelihood of Yemeni citizen and an increase in prices, coinciding with a doubling of shipping costs about six times."

He stressed that these attacks do not serve Gaza, but rather serve Iran, which seeks to negotiate with the United States regarding sanctions and to have power as a regional player in the region.

His Excellency held Iran “responsible for the crises in the region,” noting that “militias affiliated with Tehran in Yemen, Syria, and other countries give priority to Iran’s interests over the interests of everyone else.”

He said that Iran planned early to control the Red Sea, and that he had previously warned of this in his speech before the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022.

He considered that establishing an independent Palestinian state within the framework of a solution in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative is the only way to end the conflict, away from shuffling the cards.”

In this context, he explained that “there are two projects in the region: the first is development and advancement led by Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE, and the other is destructive and chaotic carried out by armed militias”. He pointed out that “one aspect of this conflict has caused the displacement of about 5 million people inside and outside Yemen.”

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council expressed his appreciation for Saudi Arabia’s efforts to bring peace to Yemen, saying: “The Kingdom has accumulated experience and expertise that we rely on and its vision for what is in favor of Yemen and Yemenis.”

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council explained that Saudi Arabia has made great efforts to establish peace in Yemen during the past two years, and even before that, to reach “a road map on which a basis for the peace process can be built.”

He said, "The Kingdom discussed several points with the Houthi group and the government. After debate and negotiations, the Kingdom reached a result that constitutes a basis on which a peace process can be built."

He renewed the government's commitment to the peace approach and the efforts made by the Presidential Leadership Council over the past two years in this regard, saying: "We declared it explicitly after the formation of the council, that it is a peace council and not a war council. We furthermore, commended the Saudi efforts, because peace is a Yemeni, regional and international interest."

He expressed his hope that the Saudi road map would push towards a comprehensive peace process, based on the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the National Dialogue, and the International Legitimacy Resolutions represented in Security Council Resolution No. 2216. Which was recently confirmed through another resolution condemning the Houthi group’s attacks on passing ships in the Red Sea.

He reaffirmed his belief in peace as a solution to the ongoing conflict in the country, saying: “Peace is a Yemeni interest, but provided that it restores the state and its institutions, monopolizes weapons, and implements the Security Council resolution,” adding: “Security Council resolutions are a road map that includes a political, military, and security solution to the Yemeni issue, and if the the international community implements them, peace will be achieved."

Commenting on the Houthis' recent announcement of minting a 100 Yemeni riyal coin, the president stressed that "this currency is illegal, and the Central Bank in Aden has taken several decisions to confront this, and the legitimate government supports it."

The President of the Leadership Council affirmed his intention to "confront this action by the Houthis," noting that "the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank have communicated with the legitimate government, and there will be meetings to discuss the measures that the international community will take to support the Central Bank in Aden."