Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
A recent analytical study has identified a prominent strategic shift in the rhetoric of President Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, during the period from December 30, 2025, to February 17, 2026.
The study, issued by the Mokha Center for Strategic Studies, stated that Al-Alimi’s discourse has moved from a phase of managing fragile balances to an active and decisive tone focused on asserting state sovereignty and reinforcing the state’s exclusive legitimacy as the sole reference for political and military action.
According to the study, this shift is not merely a temporary escalation or reaction, but a systematic reconstruction of political rhetoric based on the constitution and national and international laws, classifying any movement outside state institutions as rebellion warranting state intervention to restore order and discipline.
The study noted that Al-Alimi’s rhetoric repeatedly refers to the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, and UN Security Council resolutions to strengthen state legitimacy, strip parallel entities of any legal or political cover, and affirm the state’s full monopoly over sovereign authority.
Regarding the southern issue, the study highlighted a clear distinction between legitimate demands and armed rebellion, opening the way for an institutional negotiation track under Saudi sponsorship, away from military escalation.
It also observed a reclassification of the threat posed by the Houthi movement from a local internal coup to a geopolitical threat affecting international maritime security, with the aim of pushing the international community to adopt a tougher stance toward the group.
The study concluded that the real challenge lies in translating this rhetorical shift into an integrated government strategy capable of ending the coup, rebuilding state institutions, and establishing the foundations for lasting stability in Yemen.
