Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Yemeni government announced on Monday that the Cabinet has entered a state of permanent session to monitor what it described as the “Houthi escalation” and to take the necessary measures to protect the country’s sovereignty.
The announcement came during an extraordinary Cabinet meeting held in the interim capital, Aden, chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Shaea Mohsen Al-Zandani. The meeting was dedicated to discussing developments related to the continued escalation by the Houthi group, including the arrival of an Iranian flight at Sana’a Airport, which is under the group’s control.
In a statement issued after the meeting, the government said that operating the flight constituted “a challenge to national sovereignty, a violation of international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions, and a threat to Yemen’s security and regional stability.”
The statement added that the government had decided to place the Cabinet in permanent session after “exhausting the initiatives and facilitation measures” it had offered to avoid further escalation, while accusing the Houthis of insisting on rejecting legal solutions and continuing to invite foreign intervention.
The Cabinet approved the formation of a government crisis management team tasked with coordinating military, political, diplomatic, legal, and media efforts, monitoring developments, and submitting regular reports to ensure rapid decision-making.
The Cabinet also instructed the Ministries of Defense and Interior, along with the relevant authorities, to raise the level of readiness and enable the armed forces and security agencies to carry out their duties in protecting the country’s sovereignty and defending its airspace, territory, and border crossings, according to the statement.
The Cabinet further tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs with intensifying its contacts with regional and international countries and organizations, urging them not to allow their airspace, territory, or facilities to be used to operate flights to Yemen outside officially approved channels.
The Cabinet held the Houthi group fully responsible for the consequences of what it described as the escalation, saying it undermines peace efforts and threatens the security of Yemen and the wider region.
The statement also held Iran responsible for its continued support of the Houthi group, arguing that any support or facilitation provided to the group would prolong the crisis and complicate efforts to reach a peaceful settlement.
The government affirmed that it would continue to take “all political, diplomatic, legal, and military measures” guaranteed under the Yemeni Constitution and international law to defend Yemen’s sovereignty and safeguard its national security.
