Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, renewed his call for the parties in Yemen to exercise the utmost restraint, in a reference to the Houthi group. This is the second such appeal since the start of the U.S.–Israeli war against Iran.
In a brief statement, the UN envoy said he continues engaging with various Yemeni, regional, and international actors to emphasize the need to avoid any actions that could drag Yemen into the regional war.
He urged all sides to place the interests of the Yemeni people above everything else and to protect Yemen from becoming an arena for a regional conflict. He also stressed that the United Nations is pushing toward a comprehensive political process and working with the parties to reach a solution.
Since the beginning of the war against Iran, the Houthi group has announced its readiness to support the battle. The group’s leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, said they are fully prepared for any necessary developments, stating that their “hands are on the trigger” and that they are ready to take military action at any moment if developments require it.
The UN envoy’s call comes amid stalled talks in Amman regarding the prisoner file, after nearly a month of UN-sponsored meetings.
According to informed sources, the consultations—expected to resolve disagreements over the lists for a prisoner exchange deal involving around 2,900 detainees, including Saudi pilots, Sudanese soldiers, and prisoners from various parties to the war in Yemen—have stalled. The deal had previously been agreed upon under what is known as the “Muscat 2” Agreement.
