The Yemeni government is seeking to elevate its coordination with the United Kingdom beyond political and diplomatic support, pushing for more impactful measures to confront the terrorist Houthi militia.
These proposed actions include designating the group as a terrorist organization, choking off its financial and armament supply lines, and tightening restrictions on the dual-use technologies and components used to develop its military capabilities. This diplomatic push coincides with anticipated international efforts to mobilize economic and humanitarian assistance for Yemen.
These issues were at the forefront of a meeting between Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alim and British Minister of State for the Middle East Stephen Doughty. The two officials reviewed the latest developments in Yemen and examined the threats posed by the Houthis to regional security and international shipping lanes, alongside the ongoing preparations to convene an international support conference for Yemen at the end of this month.
Al-Alimi underscored that the safeguarding of international maritime navigation cannot be achieved without neutralizing the core sources of the Houthi threat.
He called for bolstering the capacities of the Yemeni state to defend its sovereign territory and territorial waters, stressing that political and legal declarations must be paired with concrete, practical measures targeting the financing, weaponization, and smuggling networks that sustain the group’s military apparatus.
He urged the UK to play a more effective role in mobilizing international support to designate the Houthis as a terrorist organization and ban the group in line with British law.
Continuing to address its threats without deterrent measures leaves the group's sources of strength outside the scope of targeting, he added.
Al-Alimi briefed the British minister on the scale of the Houthi escalation, pointing to the targeting of the civilian airports in Aden and Riyan, as well as the relentless attacks on the city of Taiz.
He highlighted the attacks endured by Taiz's residential neighborhoods, civilian facilities, markets, schools, and homes, in addition to the assaults on civilian targets in Saudi Arabia and the ongoing threats posed to waterways and international shipping lanes.
He linked regional security directly to the restoration of Yemeni state institutions' ability to extend their authority, maintaining that supporting the government in this direction represents the sole sustainable guarantee for protecting maritime corridors and regional stability.
Al-Alimi praised the British positions supporting Yemen, particularly London's role as the penholder on the Yemeni file in the UN Security Council.
He also lauded the Saudi support provided through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center and the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen, including the response to humanitarian needs in Taiz and other governorates.
