Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Dr. Rashad al-Alimi hoped for a broader partnership with the United States to address the challenges facing his country. He called for a collective global approach to support Yemen on humanitarian, economic, and security fronts.
Al-Alimi received in Riyadh US Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, just days after the designation of the Iran-backed Houthi militias as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” took effect and new US sanctions were imposed on seven of its senior leaders, including its spokesperson and de facto foreign minister, Mohammed Abdul Salam.
According to official Yemeni media, the meeting, attended by Council member Othman Mujalli, focused on Yemeni-American relations and their future prospects, as well as ways to boost cooperation at various levels.
Al-Alimi stressed the urgent need for a global collective approach to support the legitimate Yemeni government in addressing economic, service-related, and humanitarian challenges. He also emphasized strengthening the country’s capacity to combat terrorism and organized crime, and to secure its territorial waters, positioning Yemen as a key partner in safeguarding international peace and security.
The Yemeni leader reaffirmed his commitment to expanding cooperation with the United States to confront regional threats and challenges. He welcomed the US administration’s decision to reclassify the Houthis as terrorist and pledged Yemen’s full cooperation with the international community to implement the designation while minimizing any potential humanitarian impact on vulnerable groups.
While the full extent of the designation’s impact on the Houthis remains uncertain, there have been growing international calls to ensure that civilians and the private sector in Houthi-controlled areas are not adversely affected and that humanitarian operations led by UN agencies remain uninterrupted.
UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, in his latest briefing to the UN Security Council, warned of escalating tensions and the risk of a return to war, particularly as the Houthis continue their military offensives in Marib, Al-Jawf, and Taiz.
According to Yemeni reports, the past few weeks have witnessed intensified Houthi attacks in Marib and clashes with government forces, as the militias deploy more fighters to frontlines in the oil-rich province.
Grundberg called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid measures that could drag Yemen back into a full-scale war, where civilians would once again bear the brunt of the conflict.
