Houthis Threaten to End Truce Ahead of Grundberg's Security Council Briefing

Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani with the US ambassador to Yemen Stephen Fagin in Riyadh Thursday (Saba)
Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani with the US ambassador to Yemen Stephen Fagin in Riyadh Thursday (Saba)
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Houthis Threaten to End Truce Ahead of Grundberg's Security Council Briefing

Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani with the US ambassador to Yemen Stephen Fagin in Riyadh Thursday (Saba)
Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani with the US ambassador to Yemen Stephen Fagin in Riyadh Thursday (Saba)

The Houthi militias threatened they would not agree to extending the humanitarian and military truce again without obtaining economic gains.

This came as UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg is scheduled to appear before the Security Council on Monday for the monthly briefing.

Houthi spokesman Mohammad Felita warned in an interview with an Iranian channel that the chances of extending the truce might be the last if a mechanism for paying employees' salaries is not found in the militia-controlled areas.

He claimed that a comprehensive ceasefire would not be implemented if the humanitarian issues were not resolved, noting that the coalition to support legitimacy should end its support for legitimate government.

Felita threatened the return of clashes, warning that the militias would target oil facilities and ports in the liberated areas seeking to pressure the legitimacy to share oil and gas proceeds.

The spokesman confirmed that the group would continue to mobilize its forces to confront any development.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar al-Eryani, accused Houthis of escalating the situation and prolonging the blockade on Taiz.

Eryani asserted during his meeting with US Ambassador Stephen Fagin that Iran's support of the militias contributes to undermining the truce and obstructing peace efforts.

The Minister reiterated the government's adherence to peace based on the three references, noting that the Yemeni political leadership made many concessions to ensure the success of the truce.

He explained that the government implemented all its obligations under the ceasefire terms, accusing the militias of reneging on their commitments and refusing to end the siege of Taiz.

Eryani noted that Houthis were indifferent to the suffering of citizens in Taiz, increased the recruitment of children, and used Hodeidah port revenues to mobilize fighters and weapons.

He warned against the Houthi militia's exploitation of the truce to organize its ranks and launch a new round of military escalation, stressing the need to exert real international pressure on the militias to force them to engage in good faith in efforts to calm and establish peace.

He condemned the Iranian role in his country, saying it undermines truce efforts, uses the Houthi militia as a tool to destabilize Yemen, undermines regional security and stability, and threatens the safety of ships.

The US administration's decision to remove the Houthi militia from the lists of terrorism did not contribute to advancing calm efforts, said the Minister, noting that the militia escalated its military operations and aggressive approach.

He called on the US administration and the international community to pressure the Houthi militia, reclassify it as a terrorist group, prosecute its leaders, and bring them to trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Minister accused the militias of violating human rights, recalling their displacement of minorities such as Bahais and Jews and journalists' continued kidnapping and torture.

The Yemeni government is working to end the war, establish sustainable peace, build a safe country for all Yemeni, and enhance confidence with neighboring countries, the region, and the world said the Minister.

Eryani stressed that peace would only be achieved by disarming the Houthi militia's medium and heavy weapons, stopping the smuggling of Iranian weapons, targeting the region, and threatening international interests.



UN Security Council Delegation Visits South Lebanon, Urges All Sides to Stick to Truce

A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
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UN Security Council Delegation Visits South Lebanon, Urges All Sides to Stick to Truce

A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)
A convoy carrying a UN Security Council delegation, tours the border with Israel close to the southern Lebanese area of Naqura on December 6, 2025. (Photo by Mahmoud ZAYYAT / AFP)

A United Nations Security Council delegation on Saturday urged all parties to uphold a year-old ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, expressing support for a state weapons monopoly at the end of a Lebanon visit.

"We came to Beirut at a pivotal time for the implementation of... the cessation of hostilities agreement of November of last year," Slovenian UN ambassador Samuel Zbogar, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the UN body, told reporters.

"All parties must uphold the November 2024 cessation of hostilities agreement, and we recognize progress achieved by Lebanon this year," he said.

"We reaffirm the council's support for Lebanon's territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence."

"We also reaffirm commitment to the full implementation of Resolution 1701 in support of Lebanon's -- as well as regional -- security and stability," he added, referring to a 2006 Security Council decision that forms the basis of the current truce.

The November 2024 ceasefire was supposed to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, but Israel has kept up strikes on Lebanon.

Israel has mainly said it is targeting the group, and has maintained troops in five south Lebanon areas it deems strategic.

The Lebanese government has committed to disarming Hezbollah, and the army is set to dismantle the group's military infrastructure near the border by year end before tackling the rest of the country.

"We support the Lebanese government's decision to ensure the state's monopoly of arms," Zbogar said, also urging "intensified international support" for Lebanon's army.

The delegation met senior officials including President Joseph Aoun, and on Saturday went to south Lebanon near the Israeli border, visiting UNIFIL peacekeepers.

In August, the Security Council voted to extend UNIFIL's mandate until the end of 2026 and then withdraw the force from Lebanon by the end of the following year.

The visit was a chance to "examine options for the implementation of Resolution 1701 following UNIFIL's departure from Lebanon", Zbogar said, adding that "this is a topic that will deserve a thorough conversation during 2026".

Zbogar also emphasized that the "safety of peacekeepers must be respected and that they must never be targeted", after Lebanon's army said it arrested six people following an attack by gunmen on UNIFIL personnel this week.


Egypt and Russia Discuss Developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)
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Egypt and Russia Discuss Developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin during the launch of the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor at the El-Dabaa nuclear plant last month (Egyptian presidency)

Egypt and Russia discussed developments in Sudan, Syria, Lebanon and Gaza on Friday during a phone call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, in the latest round of ongoing coordination and consultations between the two countries on bilateral ties and regional and international issues of mutual concern.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said the call covered the close relationship between Egypt and Russia, which it said has gained growing momentum across various areas of cooperation, particularly economic and trade fields.

Abdelatty expressed Egypt’s pride in the strategic partnership binding the two countries, describing it as the governing framework for bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.

He stressed the need to continue joint work to advance ongoing projects, notably the Dabaa nuclear plant, in order to boost Russian investment in Egypt and expand cooperation between both sides.

Last month, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed via video conference the installation of the pressure vessel for the first reactor unit at the nuclear plant, as well as the signing of the nuclear fuel procurement order.

Experts described the step as the first milestone toward nuclear energy production.

El-Dabaa plant is Egypt’s first nuclear power facility, located in the town of Dabaa in Marsa Matrouh governorate on the Mediterranean coast. Russia and Egypt signed a cooperation agreement in November 2015 to build the plant, with the contracts entering into force in December 2017.

Abdelatty underscored during Friday’s call the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2803 and moving ahead with the second phase of the US president’s peace plan for Gaza, noting the need to enable the international stabilization force to carry out its mandate and consolidate the ceasefire.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Abdelatty outlined Egypt’s efforts within the Quad mechanism to stop the conflict and preserve the unity and integrity of the Sudanese state. He also reiterated Egypt’s longstanding position supporting the unity, sovereignty, security and stability of Lebanon.

He renewed Cairo’s call for respecting the unity and sovereignty of Syrian territory and rejecting any actions or interventions that could undermine the country’s stability, urging the activation of a comprehensive political process that meets the aspirations of the Syrian people.

Egypt said in late November that it hoped to see the start of a political process in Sudan without exclusion and reaffirmed its respect for Sudanese sovereignty.

The Quad, which groups Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and the United States, has been working to secure a ceasefire in Sudan.

It held a ministerial meeting in Washington in September and stressed the need to exert every effort to resolve the conflict. In August, it proposed a roadmap calling for a three-month humanitarian truce, followed by a permanent ceasefire, paving the way for a political process and the formation of an independent civilian government within nine months.

The call also touched on developments related to Iran’s nuclear program.

Abdelatty stressed the importance of continued efforts to de-escalate tensions, build confidence and create conditions that offer a real opportunity for diplomatic solutions and the resumption of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive agreement that accommodates the interests of all parties and contributes to regional security and stability.

Separately, Abdelatty and Lavrov discussed the war in Ukraine.

The Egyptian foreign minister reiterated Cairo’s consistent position that efforts must continue to pursue peaceful settlements to crises through dialogue and diplomatic means in a way that preserves security and stability.


Yemen Leader Warns against Unilateral Actions Undermining Unity, State Sovereignty

Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)
Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)
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Yemen Leader Warns against Unilateral Actions Undermining Unity, State Sovereignty

Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)
Yemeni armed forces flash the V-sign for victory as they ride in the back of a lorry as they celebrate the 58th anniversary of National Independence Day, in the port city of Aden, November 30, 2025. (Photo by Saleh Al-OBEIDI / AFP)

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi warned on Friday that unilateral actions and internal disputes within government-controlled areas risk undermining state sovereignty and strengthening the Iran-backed Houthi group.

Al-Alimi made the remarks before leaving the interim capital Aden for Saudi Arabia, where he is set to hold high-level consultations with regional and international partners amid sensitive developments in eastern Yemen, particularly Hadramout.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to national partnership and collective responsibility to complete the transitional phase in line with the 2022 power-transfer declaration and the Riyadh Agreement.

“The state alone bears responsibility for protecting its national institutions and safeguarding citizens’ interests,” Al-Alimi said, warning against any measures that would challenge the government’s or local authorities’ exclusive powers, harm security and stability, deepen humanitarian suffering, or undermine economic recovery and international confidence.

The council chief said restoring state institutions, ending Houthi militia control, and pursuing economic reforms would remain top national priorities. He cautioned that any distraction by side conflicts “only serves the Iranian project and its destructive tools,” according to the state-run Saba news agency.

Al-Alimi praised Saudi Arabia for mediating the latest truce agreement in Hadramout and urged full adherence to its terms. He said the deal should serve as a foundation for stability in Hadramout and the wider region, describing the province as “a cornerstone of Yemen’s and the region’s stability.”

He voiced full support for local authorities and tribal leaders seeking to restore calm and enable Hadramout residents to manage their own local affairs in line with the PLC’s pledges and plan to normalize conditions in the province.

Al-Alimi also instructed the local authorities and relevant ministries to form a committee to investigate alleged human rights and humanitarian law violations and damages to public and private property in the province’s Wadi and desert districts, and to ensure victims receive redress.

The Yemeni leader urged all political and social groups to put aside differences, act responsibly, and unite in facing common challenges. He called for rallying behind the government to fulfill its obligations and place citizens’ welfare and dignity above all else.