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New Peace Plan in Yemen Awaits Finishing Touches

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Riyadh. (SPA)
    Riyadh, Aden – Abdulhadi Habtor, Ali Rabih and Mohammed Nasser
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New Peace Plan in Yemen Awaits Finishing Touches

Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Riyadh. (SPA)
Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman meets with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi in Riyadh. (SPA)

New efforts are underway to resolve the Yemeni crisis as it enters its ninth year. An informed Yemeni source revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that a comprehensive peace document is being drafted.

Sponsored by the United Nations, the finishing touches are being made to the draft that covers several phases.

The first phase of peace would include a nationwide ceasefire, reopening of all land, air and sea routes, the merger of the central banks and complete prisoner swap deals.

Meanwhile, Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman reiterated the Kingdom’s constant support to Yemen.

He held talks in Riyadh with Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi. The minister underlined Saudi Arabia’s backing to the work of the PLC as it pursues security and stability in Yemen.

Prince Khalid and Al-Alimi discussed the latest efforts to revive the peace process in line with a UN-sponsored comprehensive political process.

A spokesman for the Iran-backed Houthi militias had announced earlier this week that Houthi officials had met with UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg in Oman for talks on the political and humanitarian arrangements of the comprehensive solution, as well as a prisoner swap.

Three phases

The latest peace plan for Yemen would take place over three stages. The first would take up six months, the second three and the final one two years. The informed sources said the timetable is still not finalized.

The plan would kick off with the declaration of a ceasefire and the formation of a committee that would oversee the merger of the central banks. A prisoner swap would be held and trust-building measures between the warring parties would be carried out.

The parties would then hold direct negotiations to establish how the Yemenis envision a state. This would then be followed by a transitional period.

The plan also calls for reopening all land, air and sea routes and lifting all restrictions on travel so that life could return to normal in government- and Houthi-held regions.

A comprehensive economic reform process, with Saudi Arabia’s backing, would also get underway. The source revealed that a committee, comprised of the PLC presidency, Yemeni prime minister and Saudi experts, has been formed to tackle the reforms. The committee is set to meet in the coming days.

The government has submitted its response and proposed amendments to the peace plan, revealed the source. It has demanded guarantees that the Houthis would not attempt to undermine the plan or renege on pledges.

The source expected a ceasefire to be declared in the coming days, for the truce to be consolidated and for fighting to stop at battlefronts. Other arrangements will need weeks to be implemented.

He added that the Houthis are escalating the situation on all military fronts to make the most gains before a ceasefire is declared.

Wary reaction

The Yemeni people are hoping that the latest peace efforts would end the war in their country and the coup by the Houthis against the legitimate government.

Chairman of Aden's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abu Bakr Ba Obaid told Asharq Al-Awsat that he hoped change would take place in Yemen towards the better.

This change demands that the Yemenis abandon the revolution mindset and set their sights on construction and growth, he added.

Activists and researchers have warned against being too optimistic over the latest talk about peace. They said the Houthis remain untrustworthy, as demonstrated by how they failed to respect last year’s nationwide ceasefire and refused to reopen routes to Taiz city, one of the key demands of the truce.

Senior analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG) Ahmed Nagi said the latest peace plan will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the lives of the Yemeni people and ease their humanitarian suffering.

He also said the plan would likely ease the military and political tensions and possibly lead to more understandings between the warring parties in the future. He noted that the announcement that Saudi Arabia and Iran were restoring their diplomatic relations would also have a positive impact in Yemen.

The optimism does not mean that the legacy of eight years of war will be erased any time soon, he warned. Quick solutions will fail in addressing the catastrophic situation in the country. The solutions must focus on the causes of the conflict and contain its consequences.

Mokhtar Abdullah, a store owner in the interim capital, Aden, welcomed the peace plan, saying the Yemenis have waited years for such news. He hoped the Yemeni parties would rise up to the occasion and work towards the public good, not their own interests.

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Arab World

Report: Drone Hits US Diplomatic Facility in Iraq, No Injuries Reported

The US embassy headquarters in Iraq is pictured in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone on March 8, 2026. (AFP)
The US embassy headquarters in Iraq is pictured in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone on March 8, 2026. (AFP)
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Report: Drone Hits US Diplomatic Facility in Iraq, No Injuries Reported

The US embassy headquarters in Iraq is pictured in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone on March 8, 2026. (AFP)
The US embassy headquarters in Iraq is pictured in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone on March 8, 2026. (AFP)

A drone struck a major US diplomatic facility in Iraq on Tuesday amid the US-Israeli air war on Iran, but there were no injuries and everyone was accounted for, according to a US official and an internal State Department alert seen by Reuters.

The drone hit the Baghdad Diplomatic Support Center, next to the Baghdad airport, impacting near a guard tower, the internal alert from the Department seen by Reuters said. Individuals at the facility were ordered to "duck and cover", it said. A separate alert said everyone was accounted for.

The White House and the State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Washington Post ‌first reported the ‌incident and said a total of six drones were launched ‌toward ⁠the compound in ⁠Baghdad and that five were shot down. It also said the attack was likely carried out by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed armed factions.

Iraq condemned the attacks near the Iraqi bases but did not mention the damaged US facility, according to the Washington Post.

"The (Iraqi) Ministry of Defense stresses that it will not stand by as a spectator. Rather, it will firmly confront and pursue ... all parties involved," ⁠the ministry said in a statement cited by the newspaper.

The US ‌and Israel began attacks on Iran on ‌February 28. Iran has responded with its own strikes on Israel and Gulf countries with US ‌bases.

Raising the stakes for the global economy, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps said ‌it would block oil shipments from the Gulf unless US and Israeli attacks cease.

The United States and Israel pounded Iran on Tuesday with what the Pentagon and Iranians on the ground called the most intense airstrikes of the war, despite global markets betting that President Donald ‌Trump will seek to end the conflict soon.

Trump has said the strikes were aimed to eliminate what he called imminent threats from Iran, citing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs and its support for the Hamas and Hezbollah groups.

Iran, which denies seeking a nuclear weapon, has called the attacks an unlawful violation of its sovereignty. Iran does not have nuclear weapons. Israel is believed to be the only country in the region with nuclear weapons, while Washington is also nuclear-armed.

Israel says 11 civilians have been killed in Iranian attacks. Iran's UN ambassador said on Tuesday the US-Israeli strikes had killed more than 1,300 civilians.

Arab World

Three Vessels Hit by Projectiles in Strait of Hormuz

The Callisto tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The Callisto tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
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Three Vessels Hit by Projectiles in Strait of Hormuz

The Callisto tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
The Callisto tanker sits anchored as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 10, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Three vessels have been hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security agencies and sources said on Wednesday, as one of the strikes led to a fire onboard a ship and forced most of its crew to evacuate it.

The Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was targeted and damaged approximately 11 nautical miles north of Oman, two maritime security sources said.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said later, referring to the ⁠incident, that the ⁠fire had been extinguished and that there was no environmental impact. Necessary crew remained on the vessel.

Earlier, the Japan-flagged container ship One Majesty had sustained minor damage from an unknown projectile 25 nautical miles (46 km) northwest of Ras Al ⁠Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, two maritime security sources said.

Its crew members are safe and the vessel is sailing towards a safe anchorage, the sources added.

A third vessel, a bulk carrier, was also hit by an unknown projectile approximately 50 miles northwest of Dubai, maritime security firms said.

The projectile had damaged the hull of the Marshall Islands-flagged Star Gwyneth, maritime risk management company Vanguard ⁠said, adding ⁠that the vessel's crew were safe.

US President Donald Trump said in social media posts there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world’s oil is shipped.

The US said it took out more than a dozen minelaying Iranian vessels Tuesday to help prevent any attempt to close the waterway.

Iran's vow not to allow any oil through the strategic strait has led to market volatility and fears of shortages, especially in Asia, which is dependent on oil shipped from the region.

Some tankers, believed linked to Iran, are continuing to get through the Strait of Hormuz.

Some of the ships getting through are so-called “dark” transits, meaning they aren’t turning on their Automatic Identification System tracks, which show where vessels are.

Vessels carrying sanctioned Iranian crude often turn off their AIS trackers.

The security firm Neptune P2P Group said Wednesday that seven ships had passed through the strait since March 8. Of those, five were linked to Iranian-associated shipping, it said.

The commodity-tracking firm Kpler said Iran has restarted crude exports through its Jask oil terminal on the Gulf of Oman.

A tanker loaded roughly 2 million barrels at Jask on March 7, the firm said.

 

Arab World

Iraqi Judiciary Signals Action Against Factions Over Embassy Attacks

Members of Kataeb Hezbollah attend the funeral in Baghdad of comrades killed in a strike on the Syrian border (file photo – Reuters)
Members of Kataeb Hezbollah attend the funeral in Baghdad of comrades killed in a strike on the Syrian border (file photo – Reuters)
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Iraqi Judiciary Signals Action Against Factions Over Embassy Attacks

Members of Kataeb Hezbollah attend the funeral in Baghdad of comrades killed in a strike on the Syrian border (file photo – Reuters)
Members of Kataeb Hezbollah attend the funeral in Baghdad of comrades killed in a strike on the Syrian border (file photo – Reuters)

Pro-Iran factions are facing possible prosecution and conviction by Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, as US strikes continue to target their positions in areas suspected of launching attacks on diplomatic missions and American interests in the Kurdistan region.

On Monday evening, an attack targeted the United Arab Emirates consulate and Erbil airport near a US base, according to videos and eyewitnesses, while the Iraqi government is moving toward announcing the names of those responsible after attempts to halt the attacks, which have continued for about a week, failed.

A drone struck the UAE consulate in the Mass City area on the road linking Erbil with the Salahaddin district, without causing any reported damage.

Condemnations

Iraq’s foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned attacks targeting diplomatic missions and consulates in Baghdad and the Kurdistan region, reaffirming its rejection of any assault on diplomatic missions and saying the competent authorities would take legal action against those involved.

In a statement, the ministry said Iraq’s position was firm in rejecting any attacks against diplomatic and consular missions and stressed its commitment to providing full protection to ensure they can continue operating and carrying out their duties in a safe environment, in line with relevant international obligations.

The ministry added that Iraqi authorities were closely monitoring any incidents affecting diplomatic missions and would take the necessary legal measures against those responsible to safeguard their security and prevent such attacks from recurring.

The UAE also condemned the drone attack on its consulate in the Kurdistan region, saying the targeting of diplomatic missions and premises constituted a violation of international norms and laws.

It called on the governments in Baghdad and Erbil to reveal the circumstances of the attack and hold those responsible accountable.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry on Tuesday expressed solidarity with the UAE and likewise condemned the targeting of the Emirati consulate general in the Kurdistan region, saying the attack violated international norms and laws and stressing the need to respect the sanctity of diplomatic mission buildings.

Judicial measures

In a later development, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein met on Tuesday with Faiq Zaidan, head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council, to discuss “judicial and legal measures taken against the perpetrators of terrorist crimes represented by attacks on diplomatic missions, institutions and citizens in Iraq,” according to a statement.

It is one of the rare occasions in Iraq when firm positions are voiced against the conduct of the factions, while observers note that the targeting of diplomatic missions could turn into a judicial case leading to trials of members and leaders of these Iran-aligned groups.

However, observers doubt the government’s ability to confront the Iran-backed armed factions that continue launching rockets and drones at various sites across Iraq. Many of the attacks have focused on the Kurdistan region, which has been hit by more than 200 strikes targeting various locations, infrastructure and foreign consulates.

The group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said on Tuesday it had carried out 37 military operations within the past 24 hours inside Iraq and elsewhere in the region.

As the attacks persist, reliable sources say the failure of attempts to curb the factions may push the Iraqi government to “expose the groups involved in the attacks by name,” according to Iraqi officials cited by sources.

The government of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, whose term is ending, is facing local, regional and international pressure to rein in the armed groups. Authorities have shown little capacity to act effectively and often limit their responses to mere condemnations, placing the government in an embarrassing position before citizens and the international community.

On Sunday, Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party, presented Baghdad with what he said was a list of names of some of the armed groups attacking the region, though federal authorities have yet to take serious action.

The US Consulate General in Erbil confirmed on Tuesday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with al-Sudani.

It said Rubio strongly condemned the terrorist attacks carried out by Iran and terrorist militias allied with it in Iraq, including the Kurdistan region, referring to attacks targeting US diplomatic missions and facilities in Iraq and the Kurdistan region.

Both sides stressed the importance of the Iraqi government taking all necessary measures to protect US personnel and diplomatic facilities.

“Deep state”

Kifah Mahmoud, media adviser to Masoud Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, said he doubted the federal government’s ability to confront the armed factions.

“What is strange about these attacks is that the government forms investigation committees involving parliament and security agencies — most of them from influential Shiite forces — then they investigate and identify those responsible, but they do not announce the results or take any action against them,” Mahmoud told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Mahmoud said Iraqi actors may be deliberately covering up the results of investigations or are too weak to hold the perpetrators accountable.

“It is difficult to hold these groups accountable because they form a deep state that possesses all the means necessary to practice its terrorism against the state and its legitimate institutions,” he said.

Kidnapping risk

Meanwhile, the US embassy in Baghdad warned American citizens in Iraq on Tuesday of rising security risks, saying they face threats including kidnapping and attacks targeting US citizens and their interests, and urging them to leave the country when conditions permit.

In a security alert, the embassy said Iran and armed groups loyal to it continue to pose a serious threat to public security, urging US citizens to exercise caution, avoid drawing attention to themselves and stay away from locations associated with the US or where Americans gather.

The alert said previous attacks had targeted American citizens and interests in Iraq, warning that US nationals face kidnapping risks. US companies, hotels frequented by foreigners and other facilities linked to the United States have also been attacked in the past.

The embassy added that citizens who choose to remain in Iraq should be prepared to shelter in place for extended periods and ensure they have food, water, medicines and other essential supplies.