An Indirect Message to the Houthis: Grundberg from Washington Urges Avoidance of Dragging Yemen into Regional Escalation
Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, concluded a visit to Washington, where he met with senior US officials, including the President’s Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs, Massad Boulos, along with American and Yemeni experts to discuss recent developments in Yemen and the region.
During his meetings, Grundberg emphasized the necessity of sparing Yemen from being dragged into the regional escalation and maintaining space for the peace process. He stressed the importance of continued regional and international support for an inclusive political process under UN auspices to end the conflict in Yemen.
The UN Envoy’s statements come at a time when the Houthi group has announced its full military readiness to engage in the confrontation alongside Iran, a move that could further complicate the oil and economic sectors in the region.
Reuters quoted a leader within the group saying: “We are in full military readiness with all options available, while determining ‘zero hour’ is left to the leadership; we are monitoring developments and will assess when action is required.”
He added: “So far, Iran is achieving good results and the battle is going in its favor. If something different arises, we will evaluate the situation then.”
On Wednesday, a well-informed Iranian official stated late at night that the Houthi armed group in Yemen is preparing to take control of the Bab al-Mandab Strait if requested by Tehran—according to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard.
The agency quoted the source, described as “informed,” stating that the Houthi movement—as announced since the first day of the “Ramadan War” (Iran’s defense against US-Israeli aggression)—is on high alert and fully prepared to join the battlefield.
The source said: “If it becomes necessary to control the Bab al-Mandab Strait to impose further sanctions on the enemy, the heroes in Yemen are fully prepared to play a pivotal role.”
The Houthis have not yet intervened in the current war in support of Iran, while repeatedly asserting that their “fingers are on the trigger” and that their intervention is linked to developments in Iran, noting that “their entry into the war is a matter of time.”
