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.



Hezbollah’s Tunnels: Safe Haven Against Israeli Ground Assault

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters
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Hezbollah’s Tunnels: Safe Haven Against Israeli Ground Assault

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon. Reuters

Israel has voiced fresh concerns about Hezbollah’s tunnel network in southern Lebanon, seeing it as a major advantage for the group amid growing threats of a broader conflict along the Lebanese-Israeli border.

These concerns are supported by security reports, including one from the French newspaper “Libération” earlier this year.

The report claims that Hezbollah’s tunnels are more advanced than those of Hamas in Gaza, stretching for hundreds of kilometers with branches reaching into Israel and possibly Syria.

Experts warn that this network could pose significant challenges for the Israeli military if it decides to invade southern Lebanon.

Military expert Brigadier General Dr. Hassan Jouni says Hezbollah's tunnels are crucial for countering Israeli attacks.

“These tunnels offer a safe way to move and are a key part of Hezbollah’s strategy,” Jouni told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He added that the tunnels help balance the fight against Israel’s air superiority, making combat more about underground movements.

Jouni, former head of the Lebanese Army Command and Staff College, emphasized that the tunnels are a major strength for Hezbollah. They enable the group to move fighters, weapons, and missiles secretly, allowing for unexpected maneuvers in battle.

The Alma Research and Education Center, dedicated to researching the security challenges on Israel’s northern borders, reported that since the 2006 Lebanon War, Hezbollah, with assistance from North Korean and Iranian experts, has developed a regional tunnel network in Lebanon that surpasses Hamas’ metro in Gaza.

The center notes that southern Lebanon’s terrain—characterized by rocky hills and valleys—differs significantly from Gaza’s, making the task of digging tunnels up to 10 kilometers deep into Israeli territory particularly challenging.

The center suggests that the Israeli estimates struggle to accept the possibility that Hezbollah could have successfully excavated such extensive tunnels through this rugged terrain.

According to Alma, achieving this would be an extraordinary feat, potentially considered a major military embarrassment rather than a mere failure for Israel.

Israel targets sites it believes are military, missile, or weapon storage areas in its confrontations with Hezbollah but struggles to map or fully understand the group’s tunnel network.

Jouni points out that Hezbollah has built its tunnels with advanced techniques, benefiting from favorable conditions and possibly using technology from North Korea.

Jouni suggests that these tunnels enhance Hezbollah’s ability to conduct guerilla warfare and might even be used for military operations, potentially reaching into the occupied Palestinian territories.

Unlike Hamas, Hezbollah hasn’t publicized its tunnel network despite increasing Israeli threats and the risk of a ground invasion. This secrecy suggests Israel may lack detailed information about the tunnels and fears potential surprises.

Dr. Riadh Kahwaji, a Middle East security and defense analyst and director of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), says Hezbollah’s extensive tunnels allow safe underground movement while Israel, with its strong air superiority, can only monitor surface activity.

Kahwaji explains that, similar to Gaza, where tunnels serve various functions, Hezbollah’s network is even larger and more complex.