Top Houthi negotiator and spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said the meeting held by the Sanaa delegation with Saudi leaderships “helped overcome the major obstacles that were hindering the roadmap” for peace in Yemen that is being pursued by United Nations envoy Hans Grundberg.
The crisis in Yemen is facing two major challenges: the roadmap and the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
For the first challenge, Grundberg is trying to ensure the success of the roadmap, while the Houthis are waging a battle against western forces in the Red Sea.
For the second, the Houthis have declared that they are championing Gaza by preventing Israeli ships from sailing in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. They have then started to attack American and British ships in the vital waterway in wake of strikes carried out by Washington and the UK in retaliation to the militias’ Red Sea attacks.
Yemen and peace
Saudi diplomacy and its mediation efforts have created an unprecedented opportunity to start ending the crisis in Yemen.
Dr. Hesham Alghannam, Director General of the Security Research Center at Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Houthis have been persuaded by the Saudi mediation because it favors them and the Yemeni people.
The ball has also been thrown into their court, meaning the crisis is being addressed as a Yemeni one, not a Saudi-Yemeni one, he added.
This paved the way for Grundberg to begin proposing a detailed roadmap to kick off dialogue between the Yemenis themselves, he went on to say.
In an interview to Asharq Al-Awsat, Abdulsalam said the peace path in Yemen is “going along well” and has been so since the nationwide truce took effect in April 2022 and through the Omani-sponsored talks with Saudi “brothers”.
Asked if the Houthis were prepared to begin political negotiations that includes partnership in rule, holding elections, voting on a constitution and completing the political process, he replied: “The roadmap covered the concerns of all parties and the humanitarian crisis” that the people throughout Yemen are suffering from.
He explained that tackling the humanitarian file will pave the way for political dialogue.
The UN roadmap already covers dialogue and humanitarian issues, such as the reopening of roads, airports and ports, and the release of prisoners.
Abdulsalam had previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Red Sea attacks will not impact the peace efforts in Yemen. Recent western statements have said otherwise, to which he replied: “The aim of the attacks is clear. They are a response to the pressing situation in Palestine, which is a threat to regional, Arab and Islamic peace.”
“It will impact us in Yemen. If Israel were to emerge victorious, or destroy or weaken the Palestinian people and their resistance, then that will negatively impact everyone,” he warned, while underscoring the “religious and moral obligations” towards the Palestinian cause.
This is why the situation in Gaza remains separate from the crisis in Yemen, he remarked.
“The western statements are an attempt to pressure us to back down from our position,” said Abdulsalam.
When do the attacks stop?
Some have said that the attacks in the Red Sea have gone long enough. Asharq Al-Awsat told Abdulsalam that there are concerns that the attacks would continue even after the war on Gaza ends.
He replied: “The military operations in the Red Sea are targeting Israeli vessels headed to Israel. The attacks will continue until the aggression on Gaza ends, the siege is lifted and food aid is delivered to northern and southern Gaza.”
“We will continue to stand by the oppressed Palestinian people. If the injustice and siege are lifted, then the operations will undoubtedly stop,” he stressed.
The legitimate Yemeni government believes that the western strikes are not a successful approach in dealing with the Houthis.
“Defensive operations are not the solution,” said Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, head of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), last month. “The solution is to eliminate the Houthis' military capabilities.”
Asked by Asharq Al-Awsat if the Houthis had any intentions to kick off dialogue with western parties to reach an understanding over the Red Sea, Abdulsalam said: “We are exchaninging views with the international community through mediation from our Omani brothers.”
“Our position remains unchanged about supporting the Palestinian people,” he stressed.
Hannah Porter, Yemen expert and senior research fellow with the Ark social enterprise group, said it remains unclear how and when the Houthi attacks will end.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, she said the western strikes are unlikely to weaken the Houthis enough to lead to a complete end to the attacks.
Even if their capabilities are weakened, the fact that they can still launch missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea will continue to be viewed as a threat for the foreseeable future, she added.
Moreover, she noted that at the start of the Gaza war, the Houthis were demanding the end to the Israeli attack. Now, they are also demanding an end to American and British strikes on Yemen. They have vowed to continue to attack vessels affiliated with Israel, the US and UK until these demands are met.
The more the situation escalates, the less likely the Houthis are to cease their attacks, she said.
Even though American and British officials have said that they don't want more escalation, it is difficult to see an end to this current phase, she went on to say.
Furthermore, Porter speculated that the Houthis may end up being credited with the end to the Israeli attack on Gaza when it happens.
She added, however, that the Houthis attacks are unlikely to impact the decision-makers in Israel, but the militias will be keen on claiming that their attacks prompted Israel to stop the assault on Gaza or allowed aid into the enclave.
