Alimi Warns Against Houthi Escalation, Says it Sabotages Peace Efforts

The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, chaired the meeting with the ambassadors (Saba)
The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, chaired the meeting with the ambassadors (Saba)
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Alimi Warns Against Houthi Escalation, Says it Sabotages Peace Efforts

The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, chaired the meeting with the ambassadors (Saba)
The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, chaired the meeting with the ambassadors (Saba)

The President of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad al-Alimi, warned that the Houthi terrorist attacks on oil export ports and vital economic structures would undermine peace efforts, stressing that the legitimate government reserves the right to respond to these attacks.

Alimi and council member Faraj al-Bahssani met with the Ambassador of the Permanent Members of the Security Council and the European Countries to Yemen.

The Iranian-backed Houthi militia had launched attacks on oil export ports in Hadhramaut and Shabwa to prevent oil export and blackmail the Yemeni government into sharing oil sales revenues.

The militias refused to extend and expand the truce, according to the proposal of the UN envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg.

The state-run Saba news agency reported that Alimi praised the unified international position on the Yemeni issue, stressing the Council's and the government's adherence to a comprehensive solution to the crisis under national, regional, and international references.

The Chairman recalled to the ambassadors how the militias violated all peace efforts and the ceasefire, revealing to the whole world they were not a serious peace partner.

Alimi praised the coalition's position to support legitimacy led by Saudi Arabia, which facilitated the truce, lauding the Kingdom's initiative to bring peace, security, and stability to Yemen.

Official sources noted that Alimi warned that the Houthi terrorist attacks on the economic infrastructure would eliminate peace efforts and have disastrous humanitarian repercussions that might include the government's inability to pay employees' salaries and failure to meet the population's basic needs.

He said that the Houthi escalation proved that these militias are manipulated by the Iranian regime, whose regional operations are orchestrated by Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) from "one black room."

According to Saba Agency, Alimi informed foreign ambassadors of the government measures to deter Houthi terrorist violations of international law under the National Defense Council's decision to designate the militias as a "terrorist organization."

He reassured the humanitarian actions organizations that the government has taken into account that humanitarian and relief interventions will not be affected all over the country.

The President provided a detailed presentation about the outcomes of the ongoing reforms of the Council and government and the needed international support to bolster the reformative campaign.

Alimi referred to the achievements in institutionalizing services, combating corruption, and protecting rights and freedoms, including activating the role of judicial, parliamentary, and oversight bodies.

He touched on the ongoing efforts to rebuild the army and security institutions and service reforms in various sectors with the support of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Ambassadors praised the government's initiatives to mitigate the humanitarian suffering and its constructive dealing with the de-escalation efforts.

They confirmed their full support for the economic and services reforms in the government-held governorates.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Lieutenant-General Mohsen al-Daeri did not rule out a return to the military option if efforts to renew the UN truce collapsed.

Daeri confirmed, in statements carried by the al-Arabiya channel, that the armed forces and the supporting coalition forces have many alternative and coordinated plans for an unconventional war and battles.

He said that the military committee formed to unify the forces made significant achievements and accomplished most of the theoretical matters. The authorities will organize the field committees to implement everything agreed upon.



Close Aide of Syria President Dies after Car Crash

Luna al-Shibl, a member of the Syrian government delegation arrives to meet UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on January 24, 2014 at the "Geneva II" peace talks in Geneva. (AFP)
Luna al-Shibl, a member of the Syrian government delegation arrives to meet UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on January 24, 2014 at the "Geneva II" peace talks in Geneva. (AFP)
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Close Aide of Syria President Dies after Car Crash

Luna al-Shibl, a member of the Syrian government delegation arrives to meet UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on January 24, 2014 at the "Geneva II" peace talks in Geneva. (AFP)
Luna al-Shibl, a member of the Syrian government delegation arrives to meet UN-Arab League envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi on January 24, 2014 at the "Geneva II" peace talks in Geneva. (AFP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's media adviser Luna al-Shibl died on Friday three days after being injured in a car crash, Assad's office announced.

"The presidency of the Syrian Arab Republic mourns the death of the adviser Luna al-Shibl, who passed away today after a serious car accident", it said in a statement.

"She served in recent years as a director of the political and media office of the presidency and then as a special adviser to the presidency," it added.

State media reported on Tuesday that she had suffered a "cerebral hemorrhage" which required emergency surgery after her car "veered off the road".

The 48-year-old rose to prominence for quitting a prestigious journalism career at Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera to become Assad's media adviser at a time when Damascus was cracking down on peaceful protesters in 2011, triggering Syria's ongoing civil war.

But her role expanded well beyond communications, carving out a place within Assad's inner circle as she accompanied him to high-level meetings in Syria and on his rare visits abroad.

She played an important role during the most intense years of the war and was part of the delegation to ultimately doomed peace talks in 2014.

Britain-based war monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported earlier this week that she had fallen out of official favor in recent months and her brother had been arrested.

"There was growing dissatisfaction with her within the regime," said Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman.

"Accusations surfaced that she leaked minutes of closed meetings between Assad and Iranian officials," Abdulrahman added.

Syrian intelligence arrested her brother "on charges of communicating with a party hostile to Syria" after Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Damascus in April, the monitor said.

In 2020, Washington sanctioned Shibl and her husband Ammar Saati, with the US Treasury saying at the time that "she has been instrumental in developing Assad's false narrative that he maintains control of the country and that the Syrian people flourish under his leadership".