He called for creating a "Yemeni-international" deterrence equation.. Al-Alimi: Ending the Houthi threat will not happen unless it suffers a strategic defeat

The Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, called on Sunday on the international community to develop its strategic partnership with the government on all fronts, including the defensive axis, to create a "Yemeni-international" deterrence equation against the Houthi terrorist behavior, pointing to the danger of Houthi behavior to the security of the Horn of Africa.

Al-Alimi explained - in a roundtable meeting organized by the NATO Center on waterway security in Munich - that this equation would allow the government and the international community to deter Houthi terrorist behavior and force it to engage in a credible political process that leads to a permanent and comprehensive peace.

He said that ending the Houthi threat will not happen unless it suffers a strategic defeat that strips it of its sources of power, which are: “money, land, and weapons,” adding: “As for deterrence, it requires at least sensing the seriousness of the international community in undermining its hegemony and the growth of its power, which requires long-term investment in strengthening the Yemeni state and its legitimate authority.”

The President stressed that effective international action to end terrorist threats in Yemen requires redefining the Houthis as a permanent threat, not a temporary one, saying that "even if these rogue militias temporarily halt their attacks, they will always be ready to resume their terrorist operations that destabilize regional and international security in any upcoming cycle of conflict in the region."

The head of the Leadership Council urged the international community to exert maximum pressure on the militias instead of offering incentives, saying, "This is the only language the Houthis understand."

He also renewed the commitment of the pluralistic National Alliance represented by the Presidential Leadership Council to complete the existential battle of the Yemenis against the Houthi fascism, which adheres to its categorical rejection of peace options and its failure to recognize the values of partnership and coexistence.

Al-Alimi said that the failure of the international response to the growing threats in Yemen was not due to a lack of resources or means, but rather due to the confusion of the collective strategic approach.

He explained that the international community built its response to the Houthis based on three principles, which are: “considering the Houthis a temporary threat, believing that their terrorist operations are linked to Gaza, and the other matter represented by focusing on militarizing the Red Sea, instead of changing the balance of power on the Yemeni mainland, in addition to continuing the approach of containment instead of deterrence.”

In this context, he stressed that the local offensive strikes had limited impact from a tactical perspective and no impact from a strategic perspective. The offensive operations failed to change the Houthis’ behaviour, and the defensive operations at sea did not succeed in securing the ships sufficiently.

The Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council also expressed his regret over the response of some influential countries to Houthi blackmail, by continuing to provide incentives instead of exerting pressure.

The Iranian threat

Al-Alimi stressed that any geopolitical recipe to achieve stability in the region requires implementing the two-state solution by supporting the Arab initiative, backing the Palestinian people's struggle, and pressuring Israel to stop its aggressive behavior.

He also stressed the need to end the Iranian influence that destabilizes the security of the region, especially in the Yemeni arena, which has become a central position in the Iranian national security theory.

He warned that after its losses in Syria and Lebanon, Iran is moving towards maximizing its investment in the Houthi group and developing its military capabilities, with the aim of draining resources and Arab interests, and strengthening its hegemony over the straits of the Middle East, and its ability to impose an "access ban" in Bab al-Mandab and the Suez Canal, in addition to its direct presence in Hormuz.

The Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council considered the Yemeni arena to be the main test for changing the behavior of the Iranian regime. He said: "As much as the Houthis are overlooked, Tehran remains capable of playing destructive and escalatory roles in the region."

He added: "The more work is done to undermine the Houthis, the more the region will be prepared to formulate major settlements and restore stability and sustainable security."

Yemen and the Horn of Africa

In the context of his intervention, the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council touched on the relationship between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, which recent events have proven represent a single geopolitical space, adding, "But unfortunately, it seems that terrorist and criminal groups understand this fact more than countries do."

He pointed out that the Houthi terrorist behaviour had a direct negative impact on the security of the Horn of Africa, which can be inferred from the return of piracy operations at an increasing pace since the end of 2023, specifically after the militias succeeded in hijacking the commercial ship Galaxy Leader.

He pointed out that the Houthis have become a role model for Al-Qaeda and ISIS groups in Somalia, and even strengthened cooperation between the Houthi group and the Al-Shabaab movement, as the latter aspires to be able in the future to disrupt navigation in the Pacific Ocean, as the Houthis did in the Red Sea.

Al-Alimi provided evidence for this by the Houthis’ intensification of arms exports to Somalia, and more importantly, part of these weapons are being developed in Iranian Houthi laboratories, or transferred from Iran to Yemen and then to East Africa.

In addition to the Houthis’ involvement in human trafficking, by securing and sponsoring the smuggling routes of migrants to the Gulf States and Europe, or even carrying out a recruitment operation for migrants inside the country.

The President expressed his regret for the continued absence of this close intertwining between Yemen and the Horn of Africa from the perspective of the international community, saying that "restoring security in the Red Sea region begins from its southern shores, which requires making comprehensive arrangements on both banks of Bab al-Mandab."

Al-Alimi stressed that Yemen and the Horn of Africa are the biggest test today for the possibility of working to build a regional and international security system that ends the state of fragility and vacuum in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab region.

He concluded by stressing the importance of the international community adopting a broader strategic perspective on relations between Yemen and the Horn of Africa, saying, “If this happens, our previous talk about supporting the Yemeni state will not only become a vital necessity to deter the Houthis and undermine Iran, but will also become a fundamental component of a long-term strategic investment to achieve regional stability.”

Source: Yemen Youth Net + Saba Agency