Yemen Monitor – Aden – Exclusive:
Yemeni Defense Minister General Mohsen Al-Daeri and his government were reportedly “deeply shocked” by the U.S. decision to implement a ceasefire with the Houthis in May.
This reaction stemmed from expectations of a large-scale ground operation that never materialized—an operation that would have capitalized on U.S. aerial activity against the Houthis.
Speaking to a delegation of foreign journalists at his office in Aden, Al-Daeri expressed regret over the failure to launch a ground offensive to take advantage of US air support, according to the Washington-based Middle East Forum.
He revealed that the Yemeni government had developed a strategic plan in coordination with STC leader Aidarous Al-Zubaidi. The plan aimed to bring down the Houthis through joint efforts with the U.S., UK, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.
However, Al-Daeri also voiced a sense of relief: “The US was going to abandon us,” he said, noting that Washington did not coordinate with or even inform the Yemeni government when it began its operations against the Houthis—or when it decided to halt them.
Al-Daeri’s statements reflect the growing frustration within the Yemeni government, which had hoped to leverage U.S. military activity to gain ground against the Houthis.
On May 6, 2025, the U.S. and the Houthi group announced a ceasefire agreement brokered by Oman, following weeks of military escalation in the Red Sea.
