Yemen FM Says Houthi Practices Are a Threat to Int’l Security

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the media during a joint press conference with his German counterpart prior to a meeting in the German Foreign Office in Berlin, on 30 June 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the media during a joint press conference with his German counterpart prior to a meeting in the German Foreign Office in Berlin, on 30 June 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)
TT
20

Yemen FM Says Houthi Practices Are a Threat to Int’l Security

Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the media during a joint press conference with his German counterpart prior to a meeting in the German Foreign Office in Berlin, on 30 June 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)
Yemeni Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak addresses the media during a joint press conference with his German counterpart prior to a meeting in the German Foreign Office in Berlin, on 30 June 2021. (AFP via Getty Images)

Bahrain's Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa called for continuing the joint work aimed at reinforcing international and regional security and stability.

He received the British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly on the sidelines of the 18th edition of the IISS Manama Dialogue.

Prince Salman noted that Bahrain remains a beacon of peace, emphasizing the Kingdom's commitment in supporting international efforts that consolidate security, and peace.

During the Manama Dialogue, Yemen's Foreign Minister Ahmed bin Awad bin Mubarak denounced the practices of the Iran-backed Houthi militias, saying they are “a threat to the international security and peace”.

He urged the international community to exert more pressure on the Houths by endorsing the political solution based on the three references – the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of Yemen's National Dialogue Conference, and UN Resolution 2216.

Yemen News Agency (SABA) reported that

Bin Mubarak and his UK counterpart met in Manama to discuss Houthi attacks on Yemen’s economic installations and oil ports.

Addressing the conference, bin Mubarak said the Iranian project has become clear and that the militias supported by it have become a threat jeopardizing the security of the Arabian Peninsula, region and world.

He stressed that the Yemeni government is committed to achieving peace to end the war and the bloodshed in Yemen.

“Any peaceful settlement in Yemen can't succeed unless the Yemenis agree on resolving their internal issues according to the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and on a fair distribution of power and wealth,” he stated.

Moreover, the minister noted that the more the Houthis advance militarily the more they reject peace.

He stressed the importance of implementing the Riyadh Agreement as a pillar to achieving stability and peace, as well as uniting all political forces that oppose the Iranian agenda.

Furthermore, he demanded that the international and regional communities provide more support to the Yemeni government in its efforts to overcome economic challenges.



Lebanese President Says Disarmament Decision Has Been Taken

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)
TT
20

Lebanese President Says Disarmament Decision Has Been Taken

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the Maronite Patriarchate on Easter morning (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Sunday that the decision to confine all arms to the state has already been made, but he emphasized that its enforcement hinges on the “right conditions” to determine the timing and method.
Aoun’s statement came two days after Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem firmly rejected any possibility of disarmament. “We will not allow anyone to disarm Hezbollah or the resistance,” Qassem had said in a televised address.
He warned that Hezbollah has “other options,” though he stopped short of specifying them.
Qassem also claimed that Hezbollah has successfully thwarted Israel’s objectives in southern Lebanon, and revealed that “positive messages” had been exchanged with President Aoun regarding the implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Aoun
Following an Easter Mass and a closed-door meeting with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, Aoun reiterated his stance on confining weapons to the state, emphasizing that the matter “should not be debated through media or social platforms, but rather approached with national responsibility and without provocation”.
He added that the nation’s best interest must always come first, reaffirming that his call, as mentioned in his inaugural address, for exclusive state control over arms was not mere words.
“When I spoke of the state’s exclusive right to arms in my oath of office, it wasn’t just words. I said it because I firmly believe that the Lebanese people do not want war and can no longer bear its consequences or even the language of war,” he said.
In addressing the challenges facing this matter and how to reconcile between external pressures on Lebanon and internal calls for a more gradual approach, Aoun said: “We must address the matter responsibly and with composure because it is a sensitive and fundamental matter for preserving civil peace”.
President Joseph Aoun reiterated his call for internal dialogue as the only viable path to resolve contentious national issues, including the question of Hezbollah’s arms. He warned against confrontation, which he said could lead Lebanon toward destruction.
Patriarch Al-Rahi
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, during his Easter Mass sermon, voiced strong support for Aoun’s position on state sovereignty and the monopoly of arms.
Rahi endorsed Aoun’s message that "only the state can protect us—a strong, sovereign, and just state, born from the will of the Lebanese people and committed to their well-being, peace, and prosperity."