Yemen’s Hadi Says Riyadh Agreement Would Unite Front against Coup Militias

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, AFP
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, AFP
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Yemen’s Hadi Says Riyadh Agreement Would Unite Front against Coup Militias

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, AFP
Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, AFP

Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi stressed the need to expedite the process of implementing the Riyadh Agreement, signed between the internationally recognized government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Hadi argued that implementing the Riyadh Agreement would unite Yemeni parties and efforts to confront the Houthi coupist militias.

In his address on the 57th anniversary of the 14th October revolution on Tuesday, Hadi revealed that work is underway on a strategy for resuming the activities of all public institutions.

“Despite the woes of the war, work is underway to implement an integrated strategy aimed at restoring state agencies and institutions by implementing the Riyadh Agreement,” Hadi said.

The president also praised Saudi Arabia for spending great efforts to sponsor and ensure the implementation of the deal.

In July, Saudi Arabia presented a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of the agreement between the government and the STC. The two sides had agreed to form a power-sharing government and pull forces out of main cities.

Hadi said he hoped that the terms of the Riyadh Agreement are swiftly implemented to better focus and unite efforts against Houthi insurgent militias.

Implementing the agreement, according to Hadi, would also give state institutions the opportunity to carry out their responsibilities in serving Yemenis.

“The suffering of the people requires that everyone rises to the level of responsibility,” he noted.

Ever since he assumed office, Hadi has worked to consolidate the bonds of national unity and overcome the repercussions of the country’s political crisis.

“Everyone's dream was embodied in leaving conflict in the past and building a just federal state,” he affirmed.

Hadi accused Iran-backed Houthis of seeking to abort the national project through rebelling against the state and popular consensus in the country.

Houthis have gone far in waging war against multiple Yemeni governorates in hopes of emboldening Iran-inspired Houthi dynasty rule.



Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
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Ankara: Assad Does Not Want Peace in Syria

Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)
Fidan addresses the Planning and Budget Committee of the Turkish Parliament (Turkish Foreign Ministry)

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has stated that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is unwilling to pursue peace in Syria and warned that Israel’s efforts to spread war across the Middle East are undermining the environment fostered by the Astana Process.

Fidan emphasized the importance of Russian and Iranian efforts within the framework of the Astana Process to maintain calm on the ground, pointing to ongoing consultations with the US regarding the Syrian crisis.

Speaking during a parliamentary session discussing the 2025 budget of the Foreign Ministry, Fidan reiterated Türkiye’s expectation that the dialogue proposed by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will be approached strategically by the Syrian government, with priority given to the interests of the Syrian people.

Regarding Erdogan’s invitation to Assad for a meeting to discuss the normalization of ties between Ankara and Damascus, Fidan remarked that the matter depends on political will, stressing that the Turkish president has demonstrated his readiness at the highest level.

Last week, Erdogan reiterated the possibility of a meeting with Assad, but Russia, which mediates the normalization talks between Ankara and Damascus, ruled out such a meeting or high-level engagements in the near future.

Russian Presidential Envoy to Syria Alexander Lavrentiev attributed the impasse to Türkiye’s refusal to meet Damascus’ demand for a withdrawal from northern Syria, accusing Ankara of acting as an “occupying state”.

Although Türkiye has not officially responded to Lavrentiev’s comments, which reflect a shift in Russia’s stance, Fidan stated in a televised interview last week that Russia remains “somewhat neutral” regarding the normalization process. He also urged the Syrian government to create conditions for the return of 10 million Syrian refugees.

Türkiye maintains that its military presence in northern Syria prevents the country’s division, blocks the establishment of a “terror corridor” along its southern border, and deters new waves of refugees from entering its territory.

Fidan outlined his country’s key objectives in Syria, which include eradicating terrorist groups (such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and the Syrian Democratic Forces), preserving Syria’s territorial unity, advancing the political process, and ensuring the safe and voluntary return of Syrian refugees.

Meanwhile, Turkish artillery targeted villages and positions controlled by the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), whose main component is the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

On Friday, fierce clashes erupted between the Syrian National Army factions and the SDF in western Tel Abyad, northern Raqqa. Simultaneously, Turkish artillery strikes reportedly killed two SDF members and injured others, with reports of captives and missing personnel.

In retaliation, the SDF shelled Turkish bases in the Ain Issa countryside. Turkish forces responded by deploying military reinforcements amid heightened alert at their bases in Raqqa’s countryside, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).