Ahmed Saleh Presents Himself as Successor to His Father, Criticizes 'Unjust' Sanctions against Him

Yemenis take part in a demonstration outside the house of Ahmed Saleh, following his father’s assassination by the Houthis in Sanaa. (Photo: Getty Images/ MOHAMMED HUWAIS)
Yemenis take part in a demonstration outside the house of Ahmed Saleh, following his father’s assassination by the Houthis in Sanaa. (Photo: Getty Images/ MOHAMMED HUWAIS)
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Ahmed Saleh Presents Himself as Successor to His Father, Criticizes 'Unjust' Sanctions against Him

Yemenis take part in a demonstration outside the house of Ahmed Saleh, following his father’s assassination by the Houthis in Sanaa. (Photo: Getty Images/ MOHAMMED HUWAIS)
Yemenis take part in a demonstration outside the house of Ahmed Saleh, following his father’s assassination by the Houthis in Sanaa. (Photo: Getty Images/ MOHAMMED HUWAIS)

Ahmed Saleh, the eldest son of late former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, described UN sanctions against him as “unjust”, in his first official response to a recent decision by the Security Council to extend the sanctions.

Although Saleh's son’s statement was mainly devoted to thanking participants in the campaign that called for lifting the sanctions, it carried other concealed message that he was seeking to succeed his father to lead the General People’s Congress party and to join the Yemeni legitimate authority and the Arab Coalition in the battle against of the Houthi rebels.

Ahmed vowed to follow his father’s path, saying: “The right choice for Yemen is to assume its role alongside its brothers and neighbors in the region and the world through positive partnership and effective brotherly cooperation.”

Commenting on the UN decision to extend the sanctions against him, he said: “Everyone knows for sure that [sanctions] were not based on any fair criteria. They were imposed under Chapter VII of the sanctions, in response to the wishes of the political conspiracies and abuse.”

The Houthi militia launched a sharp attack that included harsh insults to the former United Nations envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in response to his recent briefing to the UN Security Council at the end of his international mission.

The governor of state-institutions that are currently under Houthi control in Sanaa and other provinces, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, described the envoy as the “nightmare of the United Nations.”

On his Twitter account, al-Houthi accused Ould Cheikh Ahmed of committing “major sins” and legalizing an “economic war” against his people.

In his briefing to the Security Council, Ould Sheikh Ahmed said the pro-Iranian group has refused, at the last minute of the Kuwait negotiations meeting in 2016, to sign a comprehensive agreement to achieve peace in Yemen.

The UN envoy went on to say that the Houthi rebels were not ready for peace and represented a fundamental dilemma in reaching a consensual solution.



Israeli Military Says it Struck 'Key' Hamas Figure in Lebanon's Tripoli

People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
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Israeli Military Says it Struck 'Key' Hamas Figure in Lebanon's Tripoli

People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh
People gather near a damaged car after the Israeli military said in a statement that it struck a "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Ayrounieh, northern Lebanon July 8, 2025. REUTERS/Walid Saleh

The Israeli military said on Tuesday it had struck "key" figure from Palestinian militant group Hamas near the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, the first targeted killing in the area for several months.

In a statement, Israel's military did not give the identity of the targeted person. There was no immediate comment from Hamas.

Lebanese state media said a car had been hit near Tripoli and the health ministry reported two people were killed and three others wounded, without identifying them, Reuters reported.

Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups maintain a presence in various areas of Lebanon, mostly in camps that have housed displaced Palestinians for decades.

Since Hamas' cross-border attack from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel in 2023, Israel has carried out targeted strikes on Lebanese armed group Hezbollah as well as members of Palestinian factions in Lebanon.

Hamas' deputy chief was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs in early 2024, and other strikes hit Palestinian camps in northern Lebanon.

A US-brokered ceasefire last year ended the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, though Israel has continued to carry out strikes on what it says are Hezbollah arms depots and fighters, mostly in southern Lebanon.

Tuesday's strike near Tripoli was the first time a targeted assassination had taken place in the area since the truce.

Meanwhile, US envoy Thomas Barrack continued a two-day visit to Lebanon to discuss disarming Hezbollah and other militant groups.