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3 of 8 GPC Ministers Absent from Coup Cabinet Meeting in Sanaa

People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
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3 of 8 GPC Ministers Absent from Coup Cabinet Meeting in Sanaa

People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
People load belongings on a van as they evacuate their house located on a street where Houthis have recently clashed with forces loyal to slain Yemeni former president Ali Abdullah Saleh in Sana'a, Yemen December 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Coup government ministers in Sana’a have surrendered to the Houthi's will in turning a blind eye to the “bloody scenario” that has ended the life of ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh and a number of his followers.

Prime Minister of the internationally unrecognized government Abdul-Aziz bin Habtour and ministers loyal to the General People’s Congress (GPC) resumed on Sunday their daily activity at their headquarters.

Also, the Houthi edition of SABA agency announced that bin Habtour held an expanded meeting with the ministers to normalize the security situation.

Among attendees from the GPC were: Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs Major General Jalal Ali al-Rowaishan, Foreign Minister Hisham Sharaf, Health Minister Mohammed Salem bin Hafeez, Minister of Local Administration Ali al-Qaisi and Minister of State for Parliament and Shura Council Affairs Ali Abdullah Abu Hulaykah.

Among GPC representatives who didn’t attend the cabinet session were Minister of Telecoms & Information Technology Mahmoud Julaidan, Minister of Higher Education Hussein Hazeb and Minister of Defense Mohamed al-Atefi.

They are most probably still under house arrest, amid leaked information that Houthi militias have no confidence in them and accuse them of backing the uprising launched by Saleh.

In the same context, Saleh Al-Samad, head of the Supreme Political Council, met tribal sheikhs in Al Mahwit and Sana’a. Reliable Sources informed Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that Samad urged attendees to mobilize fighters and capture anyone who attempts to rebel against Houthis in Mahrit and Sana’a.

So far, it remains unknown whether coup ministers loyal to the GPC have willingly struck a deal with Houthis to maintain the alliance with them or were intimidated to preserve their positions.

Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Foreign Minister Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi stated that the assassination of Saleh will cause a political and militarily change in the Yemeni scene. Politically, the cover-up that GPC used to provide for Houthis is now gone, and military decision-making is now Houthi-centered.

Houthis continue to arrest 41 media personnel and employees from Yemen Today, whose headquarters was raided by armed men last week. 

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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.