The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the “Ansar Allah” government, in a statement broadcast by the group’s Al-Masirah TV, expressed its regret over the briefing by UN envoy Hans Grundberg at the Security Council session on Tuesday. The Ministry stated that the briefing remains in a vicious cycle and deviates from the root causes of the crisis in Yemen. It added that talking about peace is incomplete without mentioning the ongoing Saudi, Emirati, American, British, and Israeli aggression.
The “Ansar Allah” government called on the UN envoy and the Security Council to adopt a more neutral and objective stance to stop the aggression and lift the siege completely. It urged the UN envoy to take responsibility with neutrality and speak frankly about the unilateral actions taken by the mercenaries, referring to the Yemeni government supported by the Arab coalition.
The government considered the decision to terminate the mandate of the UN envoy to Yemen as possible if the implementation of the agendas of the aggressor countries continues. It claimed that the measures of the Government of Change and Construction, including issuing currencies, aimed to protect the national economy and maintain currency stability. It pointed out that the operations of the armed forces are in solidarity with Gaza and not part of the internal conflict as promoted by the UN envoy.
Earlier that day, Grundberg called on “Ansar Allah” to stop its attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Israel, stating that these attacks have complicated his mediation efforts to reach a political settlement to end the conflict in Yemen. He emphasized the urgent need for proactive and pragmatic measures to pave the way for peace in Yemen, asserting that Yemen must be protected from further involvement in the ongoing regional turmoil due to the war in Gaza.
The UN envoy accused “Ansar Allah” of reinforcing its positions, including around the city of Hodeidah, and expressed concern over these developments, highlighting the need for effective de-escalation and security dialogue between the parties. He expressed regret over “Ansar Allah” issuing new coins of 50 riyals and banknotes of 200 riyals, describing it as exacerbating the fragmentation of the Yemeni riyal and complicating future discussions on unifying Yemen’s economy and institutions.
On July 28, “Ansar Allah” announced the escalation of its attacks on Israel and the start of the fourth phase of the “maritime blockade on Israel,” vowing to target ships belonging to any company dealing with Israeli ports regardless of their nationality and wherever the group’s forces can reach, in response to the ongoing operations of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip.
In late July, “Ansar Allah” leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi announced the launch of 1,679 missiles, drones, and warboats at Israel and ships linked to it, the US, and Britain since November 2023. On July 9, “Ansar Allah” announced targeting the commercial ship “Eternity Sea” in the Red Sea while it was heading to the port of Eilat in Israel, resulting in its sinking, after sinking the “Magic Seas” ship in an attack justified by the ship’s violation of the group’s decision to ban ships from entering Israeli ports, supporting Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip against the Israeli army.
“Ansar Allah” has been conducting attacks on Israel and ships linked to it, the United States, and Britain in the Red Sea since November 2023 in response to the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip. Since the resumption of Tel Aviv’s military operations in the Gaza Strip on March 18, “Ansar Allah” in Yemen has intensified its attacks on Israel and ships linked to it, the US, and Britain, prompting US forces to carry out hundreds of airstrikes on “Ansar Allah” positions in Yemen before reaching a ceasefire agreement on May 6. However, “Ansar Allah” asserted that the agreement does not include operations against Israel.
Yemen has been experiencing a fragile ceasefire since the UN announced on October 2, 2022, that the Yemeni government and “Ansar Allah” had not reached an agreement to extend and expand the six-month truce. The conflict between the internationally recognized government and “Ansar Allah” has caused a humanitarian crisis described by the UN as one of the worst in the world.
“Ansar Allah” has controlled most of the provinces in central and northern Yemen, including the capital, Sana’a, since September 2014. An Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia launched military operations on March 26, 2015, to support the Yemeni army in reclaiming these areas from the group’s grip. The ongoing war in Yemen has claimed the lives of 377,000 people by late 2021 and caused cumulative economic losses estimated at $126 billion, with 80% of the Yemeni population in need of humanitarian aid, according to the UN.
