During a meeting in Aden with European Union Ambassador to Yemen Patrick Simonnet and Dutch Ambassador Jeannette Seppen, the Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, emphasized that the Yemeni government remains committed to reclaiming state institutions and asserting its authority nationwide. He warned against efforts to turn the Bab Al-Mandab Strait into "another Hormuz" and using Yemen as a regional platform for Iranian pressure.
Al-Alimi outlined recent Houthi military escalations along the western coast fronts of Taiz province and near Bab Al-Mandab. He clarified that the government did not initiate these hostilities, pointing to Houthi attacks directed at civilians, displacement camps, civilian facilities, and the port of Mokha. By defending its coastline and territorial waters, Al-Alimi stated that Yemen is safeguarding its own sovereignty as well as protecting a critical international maritime corridor essential for global trade, food shipments, and energy supplies.
He connected the Houthi actions to Iran's broader efforts to redirect global pressure by targeting regional energy facilities, Red Sea shipping, and international supply chains. Al-Alimi urged the international community to hold the instigators of the escalation accountable rather than treating both sides equally.
Furthermore, Al-Alimi called on the EU, the UN, and global donors to provide emergency assistance to displaced individuals and support local governments. He also urged stricter measures to stop the smuggling of weapons and military-grade technology to the Houthis in line with UN Security Council resolutions. Economic, humanitarian, and development aid for the state remains vital, Al-Alimi noted, warning that any peace agreement established while the state is weak and militias retain their weaponry would merely function as a temporary truce.
