New UN Proposal Rules Out Reopening Any Main Routes in Yemen’s Taiz

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)
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New UN Proposal Rules Out Reopening Any Main Routes in Yemen’s Taiz

UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)
UN special envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg speaks to reporters upon his arrival at San'a Airport, in Sanaa, Yemen, 08 June 2022. (EPA)

United Nations envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg made a new proposal to reopen routes to Taiz and other Yemeni regions.

Unexpectedly, however, he ruled out reopening any main roads that connect Taiz to other cities, taking into consideration all the proposals submitted by the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

Trusted sources said the envoy surprised the legitimate government with his proposal, which he handed in on Sunday.

Grundberg’s previous proposals on Taiz had called for reopening the main routes.

The envoy had met with a Houthi delegation in the Jordanian capital Amman over the past two days.

The Yemeni government was not invited to attend.

Days earlier, Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi had informed Grundberg his refusal to tackle any issues with the Houthis before they lift their siege on Taiz and reopen roads.

A Yemeni official told Asharq Al-Awsat that the envoy’s new proposal drops the demand to reopen the main route. The Houthis had rejected the opening of the main road.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said: “Unfortunately, not enough pressure was exerted on the Houthis to reopen the road to address pressing humanitarian needs.”

“Instead, pressure is being exerted on the Arab coalition and legitimate forces to renew the truce,” he added.

It is unreasonable to discuss a four-point UN agreement, when three of these points favor the Houthis, and stalling prevails when it comes to reopening the routes to Taiz and other regions, he continued.

“The Houthis are stalling and wasting time during every truce and they will suffer the consequences of its failure,” he warned.



Kurdish YPG Should Stop Delaying Syria Integration, Türkiye Says 

This handout photograph taken and released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara on August 13, 2025. (Handout / Turkish Foreign Ministry / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara on August 13, 2025. (Handout / Turkish Foreign Ministry / AFP)
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Kurdish YPG Should Stop Delaying Syria Integration, Türkiye Says 

This handout photograph taken and released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara on August 13, 2025. (Handout / Turkish Foreign Ministry / AFP)
This handout photograph taken and released by the Turkish Foreign Ministry press service shows Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan (R) meeting with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara on August 13, 2025. (Handout / Turkish Foreign Ministry / AFP)

The Kurdish YPG militia, which spearheads the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), should stop "playing for time" and abide by its integration agreement with the Syrian government, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on Wednesday. 

NATO-member Türkiye has been one of Syria's main foreign allies after the ousting of Bashar al-Assad last year. 

The SDF, which controls much of northeast Syria, signed an agreement with Damascus in March to integrate into the Syrian state apparatus. Ankara considers both the SDF and YPG as terrorist organizations. 

" Türkiye will not be comfortable unless its security concerns in Syria are addressed," Fidan told a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani in Ankara. 

"Our sole concern is that all ethnic and religious groups in Syria continue their existence without posing a threat to any country, without having armed, terrorist elements on their territory, within the unity and integrity of Syria," Fidan said. 

"A new era has begun in the region and there's a new process in Türkiye. They should benefit from those positive developments," Fidan said, referring to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militant group's decision to disband and disarm. 

Türkiye views the YPG as a PKK extension but the YPG has previously said Abdullah Ocalan's call did not apply to it, contradicting Ankara's view. 

The SDF has been in conflict with Türkiye-backed Syrian armed groups in northern Syria for years.