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Marib Unrest High on US Yemen Envoy’s List of Priorities

Marib Unrest High on US Yemen Envoy’s List of Priorities
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Marib Unrest High on US Yemen Envoy’s List of Priorities

Marib Unrest High on US Yemen Envoy’s List of Priorities

Having embarked on his third trip to the Middle East since being appointed as Washington’s special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking is pressing for a final settlement that ends the war-torn country’s political deadlock and humanitarian crisis.

Halting the ongoing Houthi military escalation in the oil-rich governorate of Marib, where thousands of refugees have sought safety from violence, currently figures high on his list of priorities.

The US envoy kickstarted his latest tour in the Gulf state of Oman, where he is expected to meet Houthi representatives. UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths has also arrived in the Omani capital, Muscat.

Griffiths and Lenderking had separately met with Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed and Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak in Riyadh before heading to Oman.

“Yemeni Foreign Minister bin Mubarak and US Envoy to Yemen Lenderking discussed the need to cease the Houthi assault on Marib in order to move to political negotiations, open humanitarian access and end the conflict,” tweeted the State Department’s Near Eastern Affairs bureau.

As for Lenderking’s visit to Oman, State Department Spokesperson Jalina Porter said that it was going to be the envoy’s first stop on a regional trip, but failed to confirm if he had met with Houthi representatives.

Speaking at a press briefing, Porter said that Lenderking was in the region in coordination with Griffiths.

“This is going to be an ongoing joint discussion on our international efforts to promote peace and a lasting ceasefire in Yemen, and again, an inclusive peace agreement as well as to address our efforts of the country’s dire humanitarian crisis,” said Porter.

Savage fighting in the country's north and around the strategic governorate of Marib has thrown up yet another barrier for peace efforts in Yemen and made the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country’s needy very difficult.

A source close to the UN efforts told AFP that the initiative for a ceasefire is effectively on hold until the battle raging outside the city of Marib is won or lost.

The Iran-backed Houthis are throwing everything they have at the fight for the capital of an oil-rich region, sustaining heavy casualties as a price worth paying for the last piece of the north that the government still controls.

The battle is “holding back the negotiations ... because the Houthis want to see how far they can go,” said the source.

“Tragically, and somewhat confusingly for me, it appears that the Houthis are prioritizing a military campaign to take Marib over ... suspending the war and moving relief to the Yemeni people,” it added.

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Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
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Syrian Government Intensifies Security Measures in Druze Areas Near Damascus

Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 
Druze men carry weapons at a checkpoint in Jaramana near Damascus (AFP). 

The Syrian government is stepping up its security operations in Druze-majority towns in southern Syria, aiming to stabilize volatile areas in both rural Suwayda and the Damascus suburbs following recent sectarian unrest. Despite a newly brokered ceasefire, community leaders report that tensions remain in the districts of Jaramana and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya.

Government forces continue to expand their presence in Al-Surah, a town in northern Suwayda, in an effort to push back armed groups operating outside state control. The campaign comes amid fears of renewed violence, particularly after clashes earlier this week that were sparked by the leak of an audio recording allegedly featuring a Druze cleric making offensive comments about Islam.

The recording ignited two days of violent confrontations, starting in Jaramana on Tuesday and spreading to Sahnaya and Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, resulting in multiple casualties.

On Wednesday evening, a high-level meeting in Damascus brought together the governors of Suwayda, Rural Damascus, and Quneitra, alongside prominent Druze clerics and community leaders. According to Bassem Abu Fakhr, spokesperson for the “Men of Dignity” movement led by Sheikh Yahya Al-Hajjar, the meeting led to a ceasefire agreement and a plan to regulate arms in the region. Under the agreement, only personnel from the Ministries of Defense and Interior will be authorized to carry weapons.

Abu Fakhr told Asharq Al-Awsat that the deal also authorizes General Security forces to enter Ashrafiyat Sahnaya and assume control, with assurances that civilians would be protected from attacks by any group. A joint oversight committee was established to monitor compliance with the agreement’s terms.

In a statement published on its Telegram channel, the Suwayda Governorate confirmed the preliminary ceasefire and emphasized the importance of a cooperative approach to halt bloodshed and restore calm. Security officials also declared the conclusion of a military operation in Ashrafiyat Sahnaya, with security chief Hossam Al-Tahan reporting that government forces had entered all neighborhoods and begun efforts to restore order.

Despite these moves, local residents report that tensions are far from resolved. In Jaramana, civil society representative Rabih Munzer described the atmosphere as “tense” and said that checkpoints at the city’s entrances are now manned by local General Security forces. He noted that the recent agreement has yet to be enacted, and a previous deal signed in March remains unimplemented.

Responding to calls from Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces in Syria, Munzer stated: “We are responsible for our own words—not the words of others.” He also warned of continued provocations by armed groups surrounding the city, including sniper fire and sporadic gunshots targeting civilians.

Further south in Al-Surah, security deployments continue under the supervision of the Suwayda Governor and the commander of the Syrian Army’s 40th Division. State-run media released images of security forces in the area, including photos of the governor overseeing the operation to pave the way for displaced residents to return safely.

However, Abu Fakhr warned that several villages—Kanaker, Ara, Sass, Al-Surah, and Dama—remain under threat from what he described as jihadist groups.