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US Proposes Strategy Based on ‘Pressuring' Houthis to End Yemen Crisis

US Envoy Brett McGurk (File Photo: AFP)
US Envoy Brett McGurk (File Photo: AFP)
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US Proposes Strategy Based on ‘Pressuring' Houthis to End Yemen Crisis

US Envoy Brett McGurk (File Photo: AFP)
US Envoy Brett McGurk (File Photo: AFP)

The United States has reiterated its strategy in dealing with the Yemeni crisis by suggesting two ways to end the conflict.

Washington wants to "pressure" the Houthi group and support "international efforts," including UN Resolution 2216, while it continues to call for ending the conflict and delivering aid.

The US efforts and diplomatic moves to resolve the conflict in Yemen come amid several "indications" that Washington and Tehran are close to reaching an agreement in the ongoing discussions on the "nuclear negotiations" in Vienna to return to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

This has prompted several politicians and observers in the US to demand punishing the Iran-backed Houthis and putting it back on the list of terrorist organizations.

National Security Council spokeswoman Emily Horne said in a White House statement that the Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, Brett McGurk, discussed during his visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE the need to combine pressure on the Houthis in Yemen with a concerted UN-led effort to end the war there.

Horne said that McGurk stressed during his visit to Riyadh and Abu Dhabi that Washington is doing everything possible to support both countries' "territorial defense" against Iranian-enabled missile and UAV attacks.

McGurk reaffirmed President Joe Biden's commitment to "supporting the defense of US partners" and reviewed ongoing efforts with diplomatic and military teams in both capitals.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed deep concern with the uptick in civilian casualties in Yemen and the region and condemned attacks by all parties that led to an escalation in the country and extended the conflict.

According to a State Department statement, Blinken stressed the "urgent need" for de-escalation and all parties to abide by their obligations under international humanitarian law.

He communicated his support for the UN Special Envoy's ongoing efforts to develop an "inclusive political framework" and reiterated that "justice and accountability will be key to securing an enduring peace in Yemen."

Blinken welcomed collaboration with the UN to advance a "durable resolution that ends the conflict in Yemen, improves Yemeni lives, and creates the space for Yemenis to collectively determine their own future."

He reiterated that "resolving the conflict in Yemen remains a top US foreign policy priority."

Furthermore, Washington-based Wilson Center called for activating the US role in resolving the Yemeni conflict, urging an end to the state of "military violence" that tore the country apart.

The Center recommended supporting US partners and allies such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE against the Houthi aggression.

The former US special envoy to Iran, Brian Hook, said that removing the Houthis from the list of foreign terrorist organizations was a "strategic mistake" made by Biden's administration.

He also sees it is impossible to discuss a solution in Yemen without "dramatically reducing Iranian interference.”

“If we're going to get to some sort of negotiated end-state between the Saudis and the Houthis... I don't think we're going to get there for as long as Iran benefits from an endless war."

During the event, Hook reiterated that "Saudis want to end the war, but Iran would like to see an endless war," noting that it benefits Tehran enormously and now "they are testing their strength by firing... they've rained rockets and missiles and drones on Saudi [Arabia]."

Hook suggested that the US "should do a better job" of minimizing Iran's interference in Yemen through the use of various policy tools.

"The Houthis have no incentive to engage in talks."

The official noted that the challenge facing US policymakers is to find a way to change the dynamic through the necessary diplomatic measures, which include re-listing the Houthis, implementing the UN arms embargo on Iran, and strengthening the hand of the US special envoy to Yemen to pressure the militias to enter into serious negotiations.

Hook also suggested that the Saudis appreciated the Biden administration's position on linking the Houthis to Iran and added that given the strategic interest of the US in Saudi Arabia, "it is important that we move from treating Saudi [Arabia] as a pariah state."

He cautioned against "defeatism and fatalism about the current conflict," calling for a "fresh kind of rethink" about the US policy decisions.

For her part, Fatima Abu al-Asrar, a Yemeni non-resident scholar at the Middle East Institute, called on the international community to listen to the will of the Yemeni people, describing them as "diverse" groups who would like to return to the transition period after the Arab Spring, when there was a manifestation of trying to build a state and society together.

Abu al-Asrar explained that since the outbreak of the conflict in 2014, Yemen has not been able to stop the military incursion by non-state and non-armed actors, stressing that the priority is to "push the military violence out of the lives of people on the ground" and rebuild the Yemeni state.

The United Nations' attempt to gather the "Yemeni parties" again at one table is a complex matter, said the expert, noting that this may cause more tensions between them and the concerned parties.

However, she suggested a comprehensive military solution against the Houthis, noting that progress in Yemen can only be achieved by "pushing the Houthis militarily."

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Arab World

Gen-Gvir Threatens to Burn Sinwar’s Body, Blames Netanyahu for Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 
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Gen-Gvir Threatens to Burn Sinwar’s Body, Blames Netanyahu for Oct. 7 Attack

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attend a Sukkot gathering and political rally held outside Kibbutz Nir Am, near the separation fence with the Gaza Strip (AFP) 

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Tuesday blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failure of the October 7, 2023 attack, also accusing former Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and former Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of misleading the PM and failing to provide him with sufficient intelligence regarding Hamas’ intentions.

In an interview with Israel’s public radio, Ben-Gvir reiterated his demand to receive the defense portfolio following Israel’s upcoming election.

“After I get the defense portfolio, I will make sure to burn Sinwar’s body and the bodies of the October 7th terrorists. As Defense Minister, I will lead a significant change in approach,” he said.

Ben-Gvir said of Netanyahu: “I also have criticisms of him, which is why I am in the Jewish Power party and not Likud.”

He said, “Before October, I presented a different vision for Gaza, but it was met with contempt by senior officials. They belittled me as national security minister, while Netanyahu also dismissed me, saying that security professionals believed nothing would happen from Gaza. That was just one week before October 7.”

Ben-Gvir also responded to accusations that Netanyahu had facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip, saying the decision had not been made within the government or the security cabinet.

Had he been in office at the time, he said, he would have “turned the table” and rejected such a decision.

The minister noted that he previously resigned from the government after objecting to some of its decisions. “In the end, it turned out I was right about everything I said. No one believed me, and no one listened to me.”

On September 22, Ben-Gvir said he will seek the post of defense minister in the next government, as the country prepares for next month's elections.

“The reason I am putting myself forward is that the time has come to change the mindset within the army,” Ben Gvir said, at a press conference in Jerusalem.

The minister put forward a “security plan” that includes the “encouragement of voluntary emigration” of Palestinians from both Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

On Tuesday, Ben-Gvir threatened to make sure the body of former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in October 2024, would be burned.

Sinwar, who headed Hamas in Gaza during the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack and later became chairman of the group’s political bureau, was killed by Israeli forces in Rafah in October 2024.

 

 

Arab World

Yemen: Houthi Losses Near 3,000 in Four Days

Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 
Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 
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Yemen: Houthi Losses Near 3,000 in Four Days

Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 
Fierce Houthi attacks on the Taiz and Lahj fronts are countered by Yemeni government forces (Military Media) 

Losses inflicted on the Iran-aligned Houthis have risen to nearly 3,000 killed and wounded over four days, according to figures announced by Yemen’s armed forces, as fighting continues on several fronts and attacks, infiltration attempts and flanking maneuvers intensify, particularly in Taiz, Lahj and Bab al-Mandab.

The latest toll came after the Yemeni armed forces announced 356 strikes over 24 hours, which they estimated had killed or wounded 476 Houthi fighters and destroyed command-and-control centers, weapons and artillery depots and dozens of military vehicles.

Armed forces spokesman Col. Majed Al-Nuzaili said Sunday evening that 2,316 Houthis had been killed or wounded over 72 hours in 756 strikes on fronts in Kitaf, Al-Buqa, the Alab axis, Al-Jawf, Marib, Al-Bayda, Lahj and Taiz.

The figures brought the announced four-day toll to more than 2,792 killed and wounded, before accounting for additional losses reported by other field sources during the same period.

Much of the latest fighting was concentrated in western Taiz and areas linking the province with Lahj and Bab al-Mandab. Government forces battled Houthis in Al-Wazi’iyah, thwarted an infiltration attempt north of Taiz with artillery fire and repelled a flanking maneuver on the Kahbub front.

In Jabal Habashi, government forces said they repelled a Houthi attack on the Bani Bakari front, while clashes and exchanges of fire were reported on the Rasin and Al-Alaqma fronts south of Taiz.

Military sources said government forces carried out air and artillery strikes on Houthi positions and reinforcements in Al-Rubaie, Al-Ja’sha, Al-Zaybiyah and Al-Bahabah, while a Houthi drone was downed over Al-Kadahah.

The Taiz Military Axis Media Center reported 12 Houthis killed and 13 wounded across the axis’s fronts, as well as an armored vehicle and a military vehicle set ablaze in Al-Kadahah and a tank destroyed in Al-Rubaie.

Warplanes also targeted a ballistic missile launch platform on Jabal Oman east of Taiz, while government forces said they eliminated a Houthi group attempting to infiltrate the Air Defense front northwest of the city. Airstrikes also hit the Jalilah camp near Taiz airport in Al-Hawban.

Fighting extended to the Al-Subaiha fronts in Lahj, where Houthis launched simultaneous attacks on the Al-Muhawala and Al-Aghbarah fronts. Field sources said government forces, backed by tribesmen, repelled the advances and captured two Houthi fighters.

The Houthis continued sending reinforcements toward the front lines, particularly around Mawiyah Junction, Rasin and Al-Alaqma, from Sanaa, Amran, Dhamar and Ibb.

Government forces, meanwhile, intensified air and artillery strikes on supply lines and assembly points in an effort to contain Houthi attacks and prevent limited breaches from being consolidated into fixed positions.

 

 

 

Arab World

US-led Coalition Ends Mission in Iraq

The Iraqi government believes the coalition's withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
The Iraqi government believes the coalition's withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
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US-led Coalition Ends Mission in Iraq

The Iraqi government believes the coalition's withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP
The Iraqi government believes the coalition's withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons. AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP

After more than a decade, the US-led coalition is ending its mission in Iraq, having helped save the country from extremists while causing persistent friction.

Coalition troops deployed to Iraq and Syria in 2014 to fight the ISIS group, which had seized large swathes of both countries and committed massacres and atrocities, AFP said.

The group was defeated in Iraq in 2017 and in Syria in 2019, but coalition forces stayed on to battle the group's remnants.

Baghdad and Washington agreed in 2024 to wind down the coalition's mission, and its troops withdrew gradually from bases across the country, restricting their presence to the autonomous northern Kurdistan region.

Their final withdrawal from there is scheduled on Wednesday.

The Iraqi government believes the coalition's withdrawal removes the excuse powerful Tehran-backed militant factions have used to retain their weapons.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi declared that October 1, the day following the coalition's departure, should be celebrated as Sovereignty Day.

It is "a national occasion that affirms the completion of Iraq's path toward sovereignty and consolidates the presence of the state and its institutions", the heads of the executive, legislative and judicial branches said on Monday.

They added that "the presence of weapons outside state authority must be addressed... in line with timelines set by the government, in a manner that strengthens state sovereignty".

- For the good of its people -

Zaidi, who came to power this year with the US's blessing, has vowed to reinforce the state's monopoly on arms and ensure that armed factions hand over their weapons to the state.

His government initially set September 30 as the deadline for factions to disarm, but later withdrew the time limit as talks continued to "regulate" weapons -- an issue that has fueled tensions and is expected to take much longer to resolve.

With several powerful groups refusing to disarm, senior politicians have intervened and are now hoping to work out a compromise deal.

Factions have put forward conditions that include not only the withdrawal of foreign troops, but also an end to American political and economic interference.

The powerful Kataeb Hezbollah group said in a statement Monday that the withdrawal of "the occupation forces... is a start towards achieving full sovereignty".

But the group also threatened Zaidi's government.

"A government that doesn't work for the good of its people will be brought down by all possible means," it said.

During the battle against ISIS, both the US-led coalition and Tehran-backed factions fought the extremists, their common enemy.

But after ISIS's defeat, the presence of the coalition turned into a persistent point of contention between Iraqi authorities and the factions.

Those groups demanded the withdrawal of US troops and began targeting them with drones and missiles, triggering US retaliatory strikes that killed several faction commanders over the years.

During the Middle East regional war, Iran and its allied factions intensified their attacks, targeting US-led troops in the Kurdistan region.

Kurds in Erbil, capital of the Kurdistan region, told AFP they are increasingly anxious about who will protect them from drones that have repeatedly targeted their autonomous canton, once the coalition interceptors leave.

The coalition left Syria earlier this year.