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Yemen Urges Moral, Political Stances against ‘Racist’ Houthi Actions

The Yemeni and German foreign ministers speaking during a press conference in Berlin (AP)
The Yemeni and German foreign ministers speaking during a press conference in Berlin (AP)
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Yemen Urges Moral, Political Stances against ‘Racist’ Houthi Actions

The Yemeni and German foreign ministers speaking during a press conference in Berlin (AP)
The Yemeni and German foreign ministers speaking during a press conference in Berlin (AP)

Yemen’s Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Mubarak is calling on the international community to adopt a new approach to the situation in the war-torn nation, urging more pressure to curb the “disgraceful” practices of Houthi militias and a deeper focus on politics and morals.

After meeting with his German counterpart Heiko Maas in Berlin, Mubarak clarified that Houthis are behind obstacles laid in the way of peacemaking efforts in Yemen.

The Iran-backed group continues to fail international and regional proposals for peace in Yemen.

It rejects peace initiatives and exacerbates the Yemeni humanitarian crisis through laying siege to cities, violating the Hodeidah ceasefire, and persisting with its offensive on Marib governorate, where over a million Yemenis have sought refuge from violence.

More so, Houthi militias continue attempted attacks on civilian targets in the neighboring Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and actively threaten international navigation in Red Sea waters.

Mubarak said that Yemen would demand moral and political stances against the Houthis’ egregious behaviors and totalitarian and racist actions.

“Iran’s destabilizing role in the region, including Yemen, has become known to many members of the international community,” Mubarak told Asharq Al-Awsat.

“Concerning Germany, we found a German understanding of the Iranian influence in the region and Yemen, and an awareness of the importance of addressing this matter in a manner that ensures defusing tensions and restoring security and stability to the region,” he added.

For his part, the German FM acknowledged that Houthis were obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid and that his country was watching the group’s attack on Marib with concern.

According to Maas, the continued Houthi military offensive on Marib undermines diplomatic efforts led by the UN.

As for Tehran’s influence on the Houthi militias, Maas indicated that ongoing nuclear talks in Vienna between Iran and world powers could eventually lead to a discussion on Yemen.

Responding to a question by Asharq Al-Awsat, the top German diplomat said that the “success of talks in the Austrian capital could set the conditions needed to talk about Iran’s role in the region and its influence on Houthis.”

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Arab World

Lebanon Security Source Says Hezbollah Official Targeted in Beirut Strike

Civil defense members work as Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, Lebanon November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Civil defense members work as Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, Lebanon November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
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Lebanon Security Source Says Hezbollah Official Targeted in Beirut Strike

Civil defense members work as Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, Lebanon November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Civil defense members work as Lebanese army soldiers stand guard at the site of an Israeli strike in Beirut's Basta neighbourhood, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, Lebanon November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

A Lebanese security source said the target of a deadly Israeli airstrike on central Beirut early Saturday was a senior Hezbollah official, adding it was unclear whether he was killed.

"The Israeli strike on Basta targeted a leading Hezbollah figure," the security official told AFP without naming the figure, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

The early morning airstrike has killed at least 15 people and injured 63, according to authorities, and had brought down an eight-storey building nearby, in the second such attack on the working-class neighbourhood of Basta in as many months.

"The strike was so strong it felt like the building was about to fall on our heads," said Samir, 60, who lives with his family in a building facing the one that was hit.

"It felt like they had targeted my house," he said, asking to be identified by only his first name because of security concerns.

There had been no evacuation warning issued by the Israeli military for the Basta area.

After the strike, Samir fled his home in the middle of the night with his wife and two children, aged 14 and just three.

On Saturday morning, dumbstruck residents watched as an excavator cleared the wreckage of the razed building and rescue efforts continued, with nearby buildings also damaged in the attack, AFP journalists reported.

The densely packed district has welcomed people displaced from traditional Hezbollah bastions in Lebanon's east, south and southern Beirut, after Israel intensified its air campaign on September 23, later sending in ground troops.

"We saw two dead people on the ground... The children started crying and their mother cried even more," Samir told AFP, reporting minor damage to his home.

Since last Sunday, four deadly Israeli strikes have hit central Beirut, including one that killed Hezbollah spokesman Mohammed Afif.

Residents across the city and its outskirts awoke at 0400 (0200 GMT) on Saturday to loud explosions and the smell of gunpowder in the air.

"It was the first time I've woken up screaming in terror," said Salah, a 35-year-old father of two who lives in the same street as the building that was targeted.

"Words can't express the fear that gripped me," he said.

Saturday's strikes were the second time the Basta district had been targeted since war broke out, after deadly twin strikes early in October hit the area and the Nweiri neighbourhood.

Last month's attacks killed 22 people and had targeted Hezbollah security chief Wafiq Safa, who made it out alive, a source close to the group told AFP.

Salah said his wife and children had been in the northern city of Tripoli, about 70 kilometres away (45 miles), but that he had to stay in the capital because of work.

His family had been due to return this weekend because their school reopens on Monday, but now he has decided against it following the attack.

"I miss them. Every day they ask me: 'Dad, when are we coming home?'" he said.

Lebanon's health ministry says that more than 3,650 people have been killed since October 2023, after Hezbollah initiated exchanges of fire with Israel in solidarity with its Iran-backed ally Hamas over the Gaza war.

However, most of the deaths in Lebanon have been since September this year.

Despite the trauma caused by Saturday's strike, Samir said he and his family had no choice but to return home.

"Where else would I go?" he asked.

"All my relatives and siblings have been displaced from Beirut's southern suburbs and from the south."