Hadi Holds Meeting at Joint Command HQ in Riyadh

President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting at the Joint Command HQ. Saba
President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting at the Joint Command HQ. Saba
TT

Hadi Holds Meeting at Joint Command HQ in Riyadh

President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting at the Joint Command HQ. Saba
President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi during his meeting at the Joint Command HQ. Saba

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi stressed Thursday the importance of continuing military operations against Houthi militias across the country.

The President’s comments came during a visit to the headquarters of the Joint Command in the Saudi Ministry of Defense.

Hadi and his Vice President (Lt. Gen.) Ali Mohsen Saleh were received by Commander of Joint Forces Lt. Gen. Prince Fahd bin Turki bin Abdulaziz. They later convened a session with senior commanders at the Joint Command to discuss the latest developments in combat operations in the battlefields of Marib, al-Jawf and Sanaa governorates.

From there, they followed up, via video conference, with the commanders in the battlefields represented by the Minister of Defense, Mohammed Ali al-Maqdashi, the Governor of Marib, Commander of Joint Operations Maj. General Sagheer bin Aziz and Commander of Coalition Forces in Marib Maj. Gen. Abdulhameed al-Muzayani.

The Saba news agency said Hadi praised the significant role of the Kingdom in support of Yemen, its security and stability.

“The Saudi-led Arab Coalition is a genuine partner to Yemen in times of peace and war. The Coalition's efforts are deeply appreciated by all Yemeni peoples,” he said.

Meanwhile, the 26 September newspaper quoted Yemeni Army spokesman Brigadier General Abdo Majli as mocking alleged Houthi victories in Nahm, al-Jawf, Sarwah, Bayda’, Taiz and Dhale.

He said the Yemeni Army made an advance in those areas.

“In the Nahm district, east of the capital Sanaa, the National Army managed to regain control of a number of Houthi-controlled areas,” Majli said.

Following battles in Akabat, located between the governorates of Jawf and Marib, the spokesman said the Army was able to take control of positions and force Houthis to flee.

Separately, Yemen's Information Minister said Thursday that alleged Houthi claims of victory in certain areas are an “honest announcement on the demise of the political process in Yemen.”

Muammar al-Eryani said the militias insist on going ahead with their coup plot financed by Iran.



Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
TT

Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.