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Yemeni Army Spokesman: Houthis Killed Stockholm Agreement

Yemeni children stand outside a tent at a makeshift camp for Internally Displaced Persons. AFP file photo
Yemeni children stand outside a tent at a makeshift camp for Internally Displaced Persons. AFP file photo
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Yemeni Army Spokesman: Houthis Killed Stockholm Agreement

Yemeni children stand outside a tent at a makeshift camp for Internally Displaced Persons. AFP file photo
Yemeni children stand outside a tent at a makeshift camp for Internally Displaced Persons. AFP file photo

Yemeni National Army spokesman Brigadier General Abdo Abdullah Majali said on Wednesday that Houthis “killed the Stockholm Agreement” they struck with the legitimate government in Sweden last December after they failed to abide by any of the clauses on redeploying their forces in the port city of Hodeidah.

Majali told Asharq Al-Awsat that the national army will retain its right to respond to any of the violations carried out by Houthi militias.

He also vowed that “what was taken from the legitimate government will be recovered.”

In parallel to Majali’s statements, the United Nations announced that Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths was conducting intensive talks with Yemeni warring parties in an effort to advance the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and try to revive hope of redeployment from Hodeidah and the opening of humanitarian corridors.

The UN chief’s spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, stressed that Griffiths is focused on pushing the parties to implement the Hodeidah agreement in particular, and the warring sides have repeatedly expressed their commitment.

Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohamed Al Jaber announced that the Kingdom has established the Saudi program for the development and reconstruction of Yemen with hopes of bringing the war-torn country into peace and development.

Al Jaber stressed that Saudi Arabia is serious about establishing security and stability in Yemen and preventing the existence of a Hezbollah-styled entity that threatens Yemenis, neighboring countries and the world.

Houthis, like the Lebanon-based Hezbollah, have been advancing Tehran’s regional agenda. The group receives funds and arms from the cleric-led regime in Tehran.

“The biggest challenge facing Yemen today is Houthi militias taking control of state institutions,” Jaber said during a lecture at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh.

The Saudi diplomat also warned of the dangers entailed in Houthis working to stoke sectarian divides in the country and seeking to establish a Khomeini-inspired experience in Yemen.

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Arab World

Reports: US to Withdraw All Troops from Syria

A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
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Reports: US to Withdraw All Troops from Syria

A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)
A US Army patrol in the Syrian city of Qamishli (Reuters file photo)

The United States is planning to withdraw all of its 1,000 troops from Syria over the next two months, according to US media reports.

Washington will end its presence in the country after the Syrian government extended its control over the country and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces once key to fighting ISIS pledged to integrate into the state, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Television network CBS also reported on the plan, citing unnamed US officials.

The decision comes after US forces recently withdrew from some bases
in Syria including Al-Tanf and Al-Shadadi, which were used in the US-led international coalition's fight against ISIS, AFP reported.

The US is building up its military capabilities near Iran, where officials have vowed to respond to any attack by laying siege to American military outposts in the region.

US media reported Wednesday that Washington will be ready to launch strikes against Iran as early as this weekend, though Trump has reportedly not made a final decision yet.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Arab World

Canada Eases Sanctions on Syria

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
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Canada Eases Sanctions on Syria

13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa
13 February 2026, Bavaria, Munich: Anita Anand, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Canada, arrives at the Bavarian Hof for the 62nd Munich Security Conference. Photo: Felix Hörhager/dpa

Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand said on Wednesday that Canada had amended its economic sanctions on Syria ‌to ease ‌restrictions related ‌to the ⁠import and export ⁠of goods, investment activities and the provision of financial and other ⁠services, according to Reuters.

"The amendments also ‌remove ‌24 entities and ‌one individual from ‌the Syria Regulations to reduce barriers to economic activity and ‌to enable transactions with state-affiliated entities ⁠in ⁠key sectors critical to Syria’s recovery," Anand said in a statement.

Arab World

Tetteh: Despite UN Engagement, No Progress in Libya Roadmap

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
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Tetteh: Despite UN Engagement, No Progress in Libya Roadmap

Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)
Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya Hanna Tetteh Getty)

The UN’s top envoy for Libya, Hanna Tetteh, has informed the Security Council that despite active United Nations engagement, the Libyan House of Representatives and the High Council of State have failed to make progress on the first steps of the agreed political roadmap, including establishing a mechanism to select the board of the High National Elections Commission (HNEC) and advancing electoral legislation.

Briefing the Council in New York on Wednesday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General said: “Their inability to use their agreed mechanism and follow-on unilateral actions has further eroded their credibility."

Tetteh added that Libyan public perceptions reflect a growing belief that the bodies are “unable or unwilling” to deliver.

She told Council members that she has begun consultations with key actors on an alternative two-step approach aimed at restoring momentum. Should a smaller group of Libyan representatives fail to agree on the roadmap’s milestones, she warned, a broader convening would be required. “We cannot wait indefinitely,” she emphasized.

The UN envoy also issued a stark warning about escalating tensions within Libya’s judicial system.

She said “contradictory, parallel judicial decisions put into jeopardy the unity of the legal and judicial systems,” cautioning that the situation “is a red line that if crossed can undermine the unity of the state.”

She urged Libyan leaders to refrain from further escalatory steps and called on the Council to hold accountable those taking actions that threaten to fracture the judiciary.

Tetteh also warned that transnational criminal networks continue to expand, turning Libya into a major transit hub for drug trafficking and sustaining illicit economies linked to corruption and armed groups.