Yemen Monitor / Riyadh / Exclusive:
U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, stated that stopping Houthi attacks in the Red Sea would pave the way for a political settlement in Yemen. His remarks follow a meeting between the Saudi ambassador and Yemen’s Consultation and Reconciliation Commission in Riyadh to discuss peace prospects.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Fagin wrote: “Restoring freedom of navigation is key to paving the way for a comprehensive settlement to achieve a political solution to the conflict in Yemen.”
In a related development, CENTCOM announced that US fighter jets, launched from the aircraft carriers USS Harry S. Truman and USS Carl Vinson, carried out precision strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
Since March, U.S. Navy ships, aircraft, bombers, and drones have been conducting military strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen, targeting what Washington describes as threats to international maritime security.
On Monday, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al Jaber met with the Yemeni Consultation and Reconciliation Commission. “As part of the Kingdom’s ongoing support for peace efforts, national reconciliation, and stability in Yemen, I met today with the leadership of the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission and political party leaders,” Al Jaber said.
He affirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to supporting all efforts toward security, peace, stability, and development in Yemen.
The Houthis, however, reject any linkage between their Red Sea attacks and the pursuit of a peace agreement with their adversaries.
In September 2022, Saudi Arabia and the Houthis had signed an initial agreement following Al Jaber’s visit to Sana’a, reciprocated by a Houthi delegation’s visit to Riyadh. The US is aiming to reduce tensions between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. Experts say the Saudis are eager to push forward the Yemen roadmap and begin its implementation, even as the Houthis continue their Red Sea attacks. Washington, meanwhile, insists that peace in Yemen must be comprehensive.
With the onset of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, peace talks have been indefinitely frozen, as all parties reassess their positions and strategies.
Bilateral negotiations between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis had shown progress over the past year, and a formal agreement—referred to as the “roadmap”—was considered imminent before the attacks resumed.
In 2023, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council had given preliminary approval to a political framework for a peace deal, but emphasized that the Houthis must fully commit to its implementation, according to a Yemeni government official.
