Yemeni FM: Houthi Immoral Aggression Continues

A Houthi boat in the Red Sea, where the group controls Hodeidah ports (EPA)
A Houthi boat in the Red Sea, where the group controls Hodeidah ports (EPA)
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Yemeni FM: Houthi Immoral Aggression Continues

A Houthi boat in the Red Sea, where the group controls Hodeidah ports (EPA)
A Houthi boat in the Red Sea, where the group controls Hodeidah ports (EPA)

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak affirmed on Thursday that the Houthi aggression in Yemen continues "using immoral methods," accusing the group of thwarting peace efforts.

Bin Mubarak referred to the economic war the group was waging by targeting financial capabilities, facilities, and oil tankers with Iranian drones, which halted oil exports.

The Yemeni government seeks diplomatic support for its legitimate position.

Speaking to diplomats at the Hungarian Academy on the sidelines of his visit to Budapest, the Yemeni minister said that the ongoing conflict in Yemen runs between a group represented by a legitimate government seeking to preserve their freedom and basic rights and liberate their land and an aggressive sectarian Iran-backed militia seeking to establish a repressive, tyrannical regime.

Saba reported that bin Mubarak met Arab ambassadors and discussed with them the recent political developments in his country and the negative attitude of the Houthi militia towards efforts to achieve peace.

Official media reported that bin Mubarak touched on Iranian interference in Yemen affairs, Tehran's establishment of sectarian militias, and its attempts to replace sects with states and militias instead of armies to achieve its expansionist ambitions.

He indicated that the group is pressuring businessmen in areas under its control to stop importing through Aden Port.

They want to prevent the distribution of subsidized gas extracted from Maerib in areas still under militia control and replace it with Iranian gas, to be sold for Houthis' benefit.

The FM discussed the negative and non-constructive position of the Houthi militia towards the peace process, accusing it of thwarting efforts aimed at stopping the war and ending its disastrous humanitarian repercussions.

- Economic decline

Meanwhile, the Yemeni government suffers from severe economic conditions due to the cessation of oil exports because of Houthi attacks, amid fears of a resumption of battles.

The Minister of Planning and International Cooperation, Waed Bathib, said before The UN High-Level Political Forum in New York City that the crisis is worsening in Yemen.

He explained that 60 percent of the population suffers from food insecurity and 80 percent needs humanitarian assistance, adding that about 4.3 million people have been displaced.

Bathib pointed to the high external indebtedness in his country and the economy's contraction by more than 50 percent of the GDP, pointing to the decline in public revenues, the rise in poverty to about 80 percent, and the worsening financial situation as a result of the Houthi militia's targeting of oil export ports by drones.

Furthermore, the head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, confirmed that progress had yet to be made to renew the truce and launch peace talks, despite the UN, international, and regional efforts.

Alimi accused Houthis of seeking to perpetuate chaos and starve Yemenis in all regions.

The Houthis have threatened to attack oil export ports and target cargo ships if the legitimate government resumes exports.

The militias rejected international and regional proposals to renew and expand the truce and agree on coordinated steps to pay the salaries of public employees.



Iraq Denies Claims about ‘Disappearance’ of 50,000 Pakistanis in its Territories

Baghdad and Islamabad deny disappearance of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq. (EPA)
Baghdad and Islamabad deny disappearance of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq. (EPA)
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Iraq Denies Claims about ‘Disappearance’ of 50,000 Pakistanis in its Territories

Baghdad and Islamabad deny disappearance of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq. (EPA)
Baghdad and Islamabad deny disappearance of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq. (EPA)

The case of the “disappearance” of 50,000 Pakistanis in Iraq continued to stir debate as people flocked to Iraq’s Karbala to visit religious sites.

The issue has also shed light on how some tourists and visitors to the religious sites exploit their trips to find jobs in Iraq without an official permit.

In a statement on Sunday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry revealed that it had contacted Pakistan’s Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain to clarify his remarks about the disappearance.

The minister confirmed that there was a misunderstanding about his comments, refuting media claims that 50,000 had gone missing, it added.

He revealed that he would be summoning the media outlet that published the false news.

The minister had tweeted on the X platform that the Iraqi ambassador in Pakistan had informed him that 50,000 Pakistanis had failed to return home after visiting Karbala.

The minister then posted a clarification, saying that his remarks “were taken out of context and used to harm Pakistan.”

In fact, the figure of 50,000 refers to numbers unaccounted for in recent years, not this year alone, he stressed. Moreover, these people have not gone missing; rather, they have not returned home.

He stressed that they are not affiliated with any party or organization – a reference to claims that the Pakistanis may have been recruited to join armed groups.

Iraqi authorities have been grappling with the illegal employment of foreign workers given the unemployment and low job opportunities in the country.

The illegal presence of foreigners has also caused security problems. In mid-July, security forces announced that they busted a Pakistani cell that had kidnapped a fellow Pakistani in Baghdad.

Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Iranians and Syrians often flock to Iraq to visit religious sites or for tourism in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Some have exploited their presence there to take up jobs illegally.

Official figures have revealed that some 800,000 foreigners are working in Iraq without legal permits.

In an attempt to curb the phenomenon, authorities said employers could grant their foreign workers a one-year work permit.

This puts the ball in the employers and workers’ court to sort out their legal affairs, an official source at the labor ministry told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Security forces in Baghdad announced on Sunday the arrest of 69 foreigners for working in Iraq illegally.