Al-Mahrami to Grundberg: Houthis Not Serious About Peace

PLC member Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami and UN envoy Hans Grundberg meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. (Saba)
PLC member Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami and UN envoy Hans Grundberg meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. (Saba)
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Al-Mahrami to Grundberg: Houthis Not Serious About Peace

PLC member Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami and UN envoy Hans Grundberg meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. (Saba)
PLC member Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami and UN envoy Hans Grundberg meet in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. (Saba)

Member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami urged on Tuesday more international pressure on the Iran-backed Houthi militias to make them accept peace in the war-torn country.

Al-Mahrami held talks with United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg at the Yemeni embassy in Abu Dhabi.

The PLC senses that the Houthis are not serious about ending their coup, he told the envoy.

The officials discussed the latest developments in Yemen and UN efforts to revive the peace process.

Grundberg briefed al-Mahrami on the outcomes of his peace efforts with regional and Yemeni parties, reported Yemen’s state news agency Saba.

Grundberg is seeking to come up with a roadmap that would lead to a comprehensive settlement that would end the conflict in Yemen that erupted nine years ago with the Houthi coup against the legitimate government.

Al-Mahrami expressed to the envoy the PLC and government’s commitment to supporting his peace efforts, as well as the efforts of all regional and international mediators.

He hailed the success of the recent prisoner exchange between the government and Houthis, hoping that all detainees will be released soon.

The humanitarian file must not be politicized or exploited for political gain, he urged.

Moreover, he praised the role played by Saudi Arabia as a mediator.

Grundberg is on a tour of the region that has taken him to Houthi-held Sanaa where he met with members of the militia. He also met with PLC Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi in the interim capital Aden.

He is set to hold meetings in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.

Grundberg was in Riyadh on May 5 where he met with Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber, al-Alimi and the ambassadors of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

The discussions focused on the developments in Yemen and the need to intensify efforts to reach a political solution.



Erbil Increases Pressure on Baghdad Amid Ongoing Salary Dispute

A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)
A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)
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Erbil Increases Pressure on Baghdad Amid Ongoing Salary Dispute

A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)
A session of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament (AFP)

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani prepares to visit Baghdad this week to attend a meeting of the State Administration Coalition, according to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson, Delshad Shihab.

Meanwhile, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani criticized the federal government’s treatment of the region as “unacceptable.”

The State Administration Coalition, a political and parliamentary bloc, includes the Shiite Coordination Framework alongside Sunni and Kurdish parties supporting Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s government. Despite their backing, Sunni and Kurdish factions have voiced frustrations over unfulfilled promises in the “political agreement document,” citing persistent disputes among political factions as the cause.

The worsening salary crisis has become a significant issue for the KRG, drawing public criticism from citizens. While Erbil insists that salary payments are an undeniable right, Baghdad has linked them to broader conditions, including Kurdistan’s obligation to hand over oil revenues, customs fees, and border checkpoint revenues to the federal government.

Despite occasional financial transfers from Baghdad under Sudani’s government—every two to three months—the payments have been insufficient to resolve the crisis in Kurdistan. Nechirvan Barzani’s upcoming visit to Baghdad aims to present a stronger Kurdish position. However, internal divisions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), led by Masoud Barzani, and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), led by Bafel Talabani, as well as opposition from smaller Kurdish parties, weaken Erbil’s ability to assert its demands.

In preparation for Barzani’s visit, the KRG convened an “extraordinary” meeting on Saturday to forge a unified stance on its negotiations with Baghdad, in the presence of KRG representatives in Baghdad and leaders of Kurdish parliamentary blocs.

“The federal government’s treatment of the Kurdistan Region does not align with its status as a federal entity,” the prime minister said during the meeting.

He also accused the Iraqi authorities of selectively adhering to federal court rulings, stating: “The government only implements court decisions when they are against the Kurdistan Region’s interests.”

While it remains unclear how Baghdad will respond following the State Administration Coalition meeting, a KRG spokesperson hinted at the possibility of Kurdish blocs withdrawing from the federal government in protest over the salary crisis. However, achieving a unified Kurdish stance on such a significant decision remains uncertain due to internal disagreements among Kurdish parties.