Yemen Says May Resort to ‘Difficult Choices’ to Make Houthis Accept Peace 

UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg concluded on Wednesday a trip to Oman. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on Twitter)
UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg concluded on Wednesday a trip to Oman. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on Twitter)
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Yemen Says May Resort to ‘Difficult Choices’ to Make Houthis Accept Peace 

UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg concluded on Wednesday a trip to Oman. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on Twitter)
UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg concluded on Wednesday a trip to Oman. (Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on Twitter)

The Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council reiterated on Wednesday its commitment to just peace according to the three references. 

It stressed, however, that it may resort to “difficult choices” to force the Iran-backed Houthi militias to restore calm and end the state of “neither war, nor peace.” 

Members of the PLC held various meetings with western ambassadors as part of efforts to revive peace efforts in Yemen that have stumbled because of Houthi intransigence. 

Yemeni sources have expressed concern that the intense diplomatic efforts may be attempts to extract new concessions from the legitimate government. 

PLC member Aidroos al-Zubaidi met with UK Ambassador to Yemen Richard Oppenheim in Riyadh for talks on the latest political, military and humanitarian developments. 

They tackled UN envoy Hans Grundberg’s efforts to restore the nationwide truce, as well as regional and international efforts to establish peace amid the constant Houthi escalation on the ground and their rejection of peace initiatives. 

Real peace begins when the lives of people are saved and when oil facilities are protected against Houthi attacks, Zubaidi said. 

He urged Britain to play a greater role in garnering economic support to Yemen and seeking all means to protect economic installations so that the PLC and legitimate government can resume the production and export of oil. 

Zubaidi had met on Tuesday with French Ambassador Jean-Marie Safa. 

PLC member Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, meanwhile, met with US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin to discuss the latest developments in Yemen and regional and international peace efforts. 

Grunberg is set to present a briefing before the UN Security Council next week. 

On Wednesday, he concluded a visit to the Omani capital Muscat where he met with Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and senior officials.  

“The sides discussed developments in Yemen and regional and international efforts to renew the truce and work toward a political settlement,” tweeted the envoy’s office. 



Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
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Syria's New Rulers Name Foreign Minister

Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)
Asaad Hassan al-Shibani. (SANA)

Syria's new rulers have appointed a foreign minister, the official Syrian news agency (SANA) said on Saturday, as they seek to build international relations two weeks after Bashar al-Assad was ousted.

The ruling General Command named Asaad Hassan al-Shibani as foreign minister, SANA said. A source in the new administration told Reuters that this step “comes in response to the aspirations of the Syrian people to establish international relations that bring peace and stability.”

The opposition Syria TV said Shibani, formerly known as Zeid al-Attar, was in charge of foreign affairs when the Al-Nusra Front transformed into the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group.

Syrian media said that until 2024, he has been residing in Türkiye. Along with HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa, he helped form the al-Nusra Front.

Shibani assumed several pseudonyms, including Nassim, Abu Aisha, Abu Ammar al-Shami and Hussam al-Shafei.

Born in 1987, he hails from the Hasakeh countryside. He was studying translation before his family moved to Damascus where he earned a degree in English Literature from Damascus University. He earned a master's degree in political science and foreign relations in Türkiye in 2022.

Syria's de facto ruler Sharaa has actively engaged with foreign delegations since assuming power, including hosting the UN's Syria envoy and senior US diplomats.

Sharaa has signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically with international envoys, saying his primary focus is on reconstruction and achieving economic development. He has said he is not interested in engaging in any new conflicts.

The United States, other Western powers and many Syrians were glad to see groups led by the HTS topple Assad.