The Houthi militias' stepping up their aggression against Saudi civilian and economic targets just before the start of Gulf-sponsored intra-Yemeni talks has drawn wide condemnation from Yemeni government officials, politicians, and lawmakers.
The attacks not only threaten regional stability, but also protract the war waged by Iran-backed Houthis.
Yemeni denunciation of the Houthi escalation coincided with pro-government forces welcoming the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) invitation to hold Yemeni talks at its headquarters in Riyadh from March 29 to April 7.
In an official statement, Yemeni parties described the Gulf call for consultations as a real opportunity for serious discussions and solutions to the Yemeni crisis in a way that guarantees ending the coup, restoring the state and achieving a comprehensive and sustainable peace focused on the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive National Dialogue and UN Security Council Resolution 2216.
Furthermore, the statement condemned the Houthi's handling of the call and their attacks against civilian facilities in Saudi Arabia and liberated Yemeni cities with Iranian drones and ballistic missiles.
The parties saw the Houthi escalation as complete evidence of their rejection of calls for peace and their insistence on war. The Houthis are indifferent to the suffering of Yemeni citizens and are focused on pushing an Iranian expansionist agenda that destabilizes the region.
Moreover, the Yemeni parliament said in an official statement that targeting vital and civilian facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to security and stability in the region.
It said that the despicable terrorist attacks represent a flagrant violation of the principles and rules of international law.
The statement slammed the Houthis for rejecting calls for peace and consultations and their insistence on spilling innocent blood, destruction and fighting.
The parliament called on the “international community to take decisive measures to stop attacks that target vital and civilian installations and the security of Saudi Arabia.”
It also expressed its full solidarity with the Kingdom and the measures it takes to protect its security.
Yemeni Information Minister Moammer al-Eryani noted that the terrorist militias targeted civilians and economic and energy facilities in Saudi Arabia with a number of ballistic and cruise missiles and Iranian-made drones only a few days after the GCC’s invitation to hold Yemeni talks.
He described these attacks as “affirming once again that the militias refuse to be a party to any dialogue table that ends the war, or part of a process to build peace in Yemen and establish security and stability in the region.”
