Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels are escalating their campaign against Saudi Arabia, targeting Saudi interests and threatening critical energy and maritime infrastructure.

The latest escalation comes after Saudi Arabia signed a new defence pact with Türkiye and Pakistan, raising questions over how the new alliance could respond to attacks from the Houthis. Reuters reported that a Houthi drone attack targeted Saudi Aramco’s Jazan refinery, with the fire subsequently extinguished and no casualties reported.

Yemen's Houthis Attack Saudi Targets, Ally Pakistan Watches on 

Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have signed a major trilateral defence pact, creating a new security arrangement amid escalating tensions across West Asia.

The agreement is being viewed as part of Saudi Arabia's effort to diversify its security partnerships while maintaining its longstanding relationship with the United States. The pact builds on the existing defence relationship between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, with Turkey now joining the arrangement.

Iranian officials and clerics have criticised the agreement, warning that closer military cooperation between the three countries will not guarantee security.

The pact comes as tensions remain high over the Strait of Hormuz, the conflict involving Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen and broader regional instability.

Turkey-Saudi-Pakistan Defence Pact | New Alliance Amid Iran Tensions | What It Means for West Asia

Iran has warned that any renewed US military strikes, especially alongside Israel, could trigger a wider regional conflict across West Asia. The warning comes ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington, as tensions continue to rise. Meanwhile, Yemen's Houthi rebels launched missile and drone attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in Jazan and Yanbu, threatening key global energy routes. The conflict has raised concerns over the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and global oil supplies, while Iran insists that diplomacy—not military escalation is the only path forward.

Iran Warns of Wider West Asia War | Houthi Strikes Saudi Aramco |US, Israel, Saudi Tensions Escalate

Major developments unfold across India and the world in today's top headlines. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) has officially called off its nationwide student protest after the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, following weeks of demonstrations over the NEET paper leak controversy and demands for education reforms. The announcement came after a joint press conference between the Government of India and CJP leaders, marking a significant political development.

Internationally, tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate as Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels claim responsibility for targeting Saudi Arabian oil facilities along the Red Sea coast. The latest attacks have heightened fears of a wider regional conflict, with Saudi Arabia warning of further retaliation.

Europe is battling an environmental crisis as devastating wildfires continue to rage across France and Spain. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has convened another emergency crisis meeting while authorities report that more than 250,000 people have been evacuated, including nearly 197,000 people from southwestern France. The ongoing fires have also disrupted the Tour de France, forcing organizers to shorten one of the race stages due to safety concerns.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the situation in the Golan Heights, calling recent developments unacceptable. Syria has once again demanded the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the UN-patrolled buffer zone, adding to growing regional tensions.


Dharmendra Pradhan Resigns, CJP Calls Off Protest | Yemen Crisis | France Fires | Middle East Crisis

The United Nations (UN) said on Wednesday that $4.3bn is the amount that the organisation will need to address Yemen’s food shortages this year. The UN believes that around 161,000 people are likely to experience famine in 2022 and they called it “the world's worst humanitarian crisis”.

Ahead of a high-level pledging conference which will be co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland, the UN said that three out of four Yemenis will depend on food assistance in 2022 and it hopes that the participating nations will be able to pledge the necessary amount for the aid of the war-torn nation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russia-ukraine-conflict-joe-biden-to-announce-800-million-in-new-security-aid-to-ukraine-462729">Joe Biden to announce $800 million in new security aid to Ukraine</a>

“As of now, funding is drying up and agencies are stopping their work in Yemen,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths told Al-Jazeera. “We need to replenish the food pipeline, provide shelter and send a message to Yemenis that we do not forget them.”

According to an Associated Press report, at the beginning of the year, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to reduce food rations for eight million people due to a funding shortage, with households receiving barely half of the WFP standard daily minimum food basket.

The report also stated that last year's conference raised only $1.7bn for Yemen after&nbsp;the UN asked for $3.85bn.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/refugee-exodus-in-20-days-28-million-people-have-fled-ukraine-462361">&nbsp;In 20 days, 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine</a>

The war in Yemen started back in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured a major part of the country’s northern region&nbsp;including capital Sanaa. Months later, an US-backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in order to defeat the rebels and restore the recognised government.

The situation in Yemen has been&nbsp;grim for quite some time and it seems that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis may end up making things worse. Ukraine supplies around 40 per cent of Yemen’s grains and with the country under attack, the supplies may stop for the time being.

(With agency inputs)

The United Nations (UN) said on Wednesday that $4.3bn is the amount that the organisation will need to address Yemen’s food shortages this year. The UN believes that around 161,000 people are likely to experience famine in 2022 and they called it “the world's worst humanitarian crisis”.

The United Nations (UN) said on Wednesday that $4.3bn is the amount that the organisation will need to address Yemen’s food shortages this year. The UN believes that around 161,000 people are likely to experience famine in 2022 and they called it “the world's worst humanitarian crisis”. Ahead of a high-level pledging conference which will be co-hosted by Sweden and Switzerland, the UN said that three out of four Yemenis will depend on food assistance in 2022 and it hopes that the participating nations will be able to pledge the necessary amount for the aid of the war-torn nation. Also read | Joe Biden to announce $800 million in new security aid to Ukraine “As of now, funding is drying up and agencies are stopping their work in Yemen,” UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths told Al-Jazeera. “We need to replenish the food pipeline, provide shelter and send a message to Yemenis that we do not forget them.” According to an Associated Press report, at the beginning of the year, the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) was forced to reduce food rations for eight million people due to a funding shortage, with households receiving barely half of the WFP standard daily minimum food basket. The report also stated that last year's conference raised only $1.7bn for Yemen after the UN asked for $3.85bn. Also read | In 20 days, 2.8 million people have fled Ukraine The war in Yemen started back in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured a major part of the country’s northern region including capital Sanaa. Months later, an US-backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in order to defeat the rebels and restore the recognised government. The situation in Yemen has been grim for quite some time and it seems that the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis may end up making things worse. Ukraine supplies around 40 per cent of Yemen’s grains and with the country under attack, the supplies may stop for the time being. (With agency inputs)

$4.3bn needed to prevent Yemen hunger crisis, says UN

Saudi Arabia-led coalition says that it has killed more than 100 Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen's Marib and Al-Bayda.

Yemen: Saudi Arabia-led coalition targets Iran-backed Houthis

The Yemen conflict is the world's worst humanitarian crisis. But it is the children of Yemen that are the worst-affected. Children malnutrition is soaring in the war-torn country. This week on the West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis decodes this growing crisis.

The West Asia Post | Child malnutrition soars in Yemen

Inside the museum in Taez, a city ringed by mountains, ancient cooking utensils and priceless manuscripts lie exposed on wooden tables draped with old cloth.

War has massively affected archaeological sites in Yemen

Two million <a href="https://www.wionews.com/west-asia/in-yemen-a-child-dies-every-10-minutes-from-easily-preventable-diseases-175690">children</a> are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday.

The education of a further 3.7 million children is at risk as teachers' salaries have not been paid in more than two years, UNICEF said in a statement.

"Violence, displacement and attacks on schools are preventing many children from accessing school," said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a UNICEF representative in Yemen.&nbsp;

One in five schools in the country can no longer be used as a direct result of the conflict that has devastated Yemen's already fragile education system, the UN agency says.&nbsp;

"Children out of school face increased risks of all forms of exploitation including being <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/more-than-800-child-soldiers-recruited-in-yemen-un-150600">forced to join the fighting</a>, child labour and early marriage," Nyanti said.&nbsp;

"They lose the opportunity to develop and grow in a caring and stimulating environment, ultimately becoming trapped in a life of poverty and hardship," Nyanti added.

Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the beleaguered government after the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels captured the capital Sanaa.

The fighting has displaced millions and left 24.1 million -&nbsp;more than two-thirds of the population - in&nbsp;need of aid.

According to UNICEF, 1.8 million children under the age of five are suffering from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/around-20-million-yemenis-food-insecure-due-to-ongoing-conflict-un-182515">severe malnutrition</a>.&nbsp;

The United Nations has described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Two million children are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday.

Two million children are out of school in war-torn Yemen, a fourth of whom have dropped out since the conflict escalated in March 2015, the UN children's agency said Wednesday. The education of a further 3.7 million children is at risk as teachers' salaries have not been paid in more than two years, UNICEF said in a statement. "Violence, displacement and attacks on schools are preventing many children from accessing school," said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, a UNICEF representative in Yemen. One in five schools in the country can no longer be used as a direct result of the conflict that has devastated Yemen's already fragile education system, the UN agency says. "Children out of school face increased risks of all forms of exploitation including being forced to join the fighting, child labour and early marriage," Nyanti said. "They lose the opportunity to develop and grow in a caring and stimulating environment, ultimately becoming trapped in a life of poverty and hardship," Nyanti added. Tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed since Saudi Arabia and its allies intervened in March 2015 in support of the beleaguered government after the Iran-aligned Huthi rebels captured the capital Sanaa. The fighting has displaced millions and left 24.1 million - more than two-thirds of the population - in need of aid. According to UNICEF, 1.8 million children under the age of five are suffering from severe malnutrition. The United Nations has described Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Two million children out of school in war-torn Yemen: UN

The UN confirmed a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemen-government-accuses-rebels-of-ploy-over-ports-pullout-217817">withdrawal by Yemen's Houthi rebels from three Red Sea ports</a> had begun Saturday, while a senior pro-government official accused the rebels of faking the pullout.

The rebel pullback is a first step in implementing a hard-won ceasefire deal reached between Yemen's internationally-recognised government and the Iran-backed <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yemens-houthis-start-withdrawing-from-ports-in-hodeidah-witness-217771">Houthi rebels</a> late last year.

"Yes, it has begun," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq, when AFP asked whether redeployment of Huthi troops was underway. &nbsp;

Sources close to the Huthis said that the ports were handed over to coastguard personnel who were in charge before the rebels took over almost five years ago.

An AFP photographer at Saleef port saw &nbsp;Huthi troops leave the facility, and men dressed in coastguard uniforms enter, adding that these movements were observed by the UN.

But the governor of Hodeida, Al-Hasan Taher, said the Huthis were merely reshuffling personnel.

"The Huthis are staging a new ploy by handing over the ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa to themselves without any monitoring by the United Nations and the government side," the government-appointed official said.

UN envoy "Martin Griffiths wants to achieve victory even if the Huthis hand over (the ports) to themselves," Taher said.

"This is totally rejected by us, and the agreement must be implemented in full, especially with regards to the identity of the troops that will take over from the Huthis," he added.

Hodeida port is the main entry point for the bulk of Yemen's imports and humanitarian aid, serving as a lifeline to millions of civilians pushed to the brink of famine by more than four years of war.

UN to meet

The withdrawal of rebel forces is due to be completed by Tuesday, the head of the UN redeployment committee, General Michael Lollesgaard, said in a statement.

The UN Security Council is due to hear a briefing on Hodeida on Wednesday.

The head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, pledged that fighters would start pulling back at 10:00 am (0700 GMT) in a bid to restart the stalled ceasefire deal with the government.

He accused the government of delaying a parallel pullback from parts of the city of Hodeida that it had pledged to make under a December truce.

"The (rebel) army and committees are withdrawing unilaterally as a result of the refusal of the countries of the US-British-Saudi-Emirati aggression and their allies to implement the accord," the rebel leader said on Twitter.

The agreement last year in Sweden was hailed as a breakthrough that offered the best chance so far of ending the war in Yemen, where a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is fighting on the government's side.

But although the fighting has largely stopped, there have been intermittent clashes and the promised redeployment of the warring parties away from the front lines has failed to materialise.

Yemen's information minister demanded joint verification of the promised rebel withdrawal.

"We... warn of attempts by the militia to mislead the international community and the (UN) Security Council before the next meeting," Moammer al-Eryani tweeted.

He said any unilateral redeployment by the rebels without control and joint verification "cannot be accepted."

Untapped grain stocks

Nearly all goods pass through Hodeida and the main storage and distribution centre for imported grain lies in government-held territory on the city's outskirts.

The silos of the Red Sea Mills currently contain some 51,000 tonnes of grain -- enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month -- but it has gone unused since the fighting forced the UN to withdraw its staff in September.

The mills came under renewed fire on Thursday with two silos hit, one of them containing wheat, the UN said.

The military coalition intervened in March 2015 when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile after the rebels took swathes of the country.

Yemen's conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say.&nbsp;

The fighting has triggered what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid.

The UN confirmed a withdrawal by Yemen's Houthi rebels from three Red Sea ports had begun Saturday, while a senior pro-government official accused the rebels of faking the pullout.

The UN confirmed a withdrawal by Yemen's Houthi rebels from three Red Sea ports had begun Saturday, while a senior pro-government official accused the rebels of faking the pullout. The rebel pullback is a first step in implementing a hard-won ceasefire deal reached between Yemen's internationally-recognised government and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels late last year. "Yes, it has begun," said UN spokesman Farhan Haq, when AFP asked whether redeployment of Huthi troops was underway. Sources close to the Huthis said that the ports were handed over to coastguard personnel who were in charge before the rebels took over almost five years ago. An AFP photographer at Saleef port saw Huthi troops leave the facility, and men dressed in coastguard uniforms enter, adding that these movements were observed by the UN. But the governor of Hodeida, Al-Hasan Taher, said the Huthis were merely reshuffling personnel. "The Huthis are staging a new ploy by handing over the ports of Hodeida, Saleef and Ras Issa to themselves without any monitoring by the United Nations and the government side," the government-appointed official said. UN envoy "Martin Griffiths wants to achieve victory even if the Huthis hand over (the ports) to themselves," Taher said. "This is totally rejected by us, and the agreement must be implemented in full, especially with regards to the identity of the troops that will take over from the Huthis," he added. Hodeida port is the main entry point for the bulk of Yemen's imports and humanitarian aid, serving as a lifeline to millions of civilians pushed to the brink of famine by more than four years of war. UN to meet The withdrawal of rebel forces is due to be completed by Tuesday, the head of the UN redeployment committee, General Michael Lollesgaard, said in a statement. The UN Security Council is due to hear a briefing on Hodeida on Wednesday. The head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, pledged that fighters would start pulling back at 10:00 am (0700 GMT) in a bid to restart the stalled ceasefire deal with the government. He accused the government of delaying a parallel pullback from parts of the city of Hodeida that it had pledged to make under a December truce. "The (rebel) army and committees are withdrawing unilaterally as a result of the refusal of the countries of the US-British-Saudi-Emirati aggression and their allies to implement the accord," the rebel leader said on Twitter. The agreement last year in Sweden was hailed as a breakthrough that offered the best chance so far of ending the war in Yemen, where a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is fighting on the government's side. But although the fighting has largely stopped, there have been intermittent clashes and the promised redeployment of the warring parties away from the front lines has failed to materialise. Yemen's information minister demanded joint verification of the promised rebel withdrawal. "We... warn of attempts by the militia to mislead the international community and the (UN) Security Council before the next meeting," Moammer al-Eryani tweeted. He said any unilateral redeployment by the rebels without control and joint verification "cannot be accepted." Untapped grain stocks Nearly all goods pass through Hodeida and the main storage and distribution centre for imported grain lies in government-held territory on the city's outskirts. The silos of the Red Sea Mills currently contain some 51,000 tonnes of grain -- enough to feed 3.7 million people for a month -- but it has gone unused since the fighting forced the UN to withdraw its staff in September. The mills came under renewed fire on Thursday with two silos hit, one of them containing wheat, the UN said. The military coalition intervened in March 2015 when President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi fled into Saudi exile after the rebels took swathes of the country. Yemen's conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, many of them civilians, relief agencies say. The fighting has triggered what the UN describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with 24.1 million -- more than two-thirds of the population -- in need of aid.

United Nations confirms Yemen aid port withdrawal underway

These are tough times for Saudi Arabia.

The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out has captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as a result of its conduct of the Yemen War.

Saudi interference in Yemen that culminated in military intervention predates the four-year-old war. Yemen has long been perceived by Saudi Arabia as a threat. That threat went far beyond current Iranian support for the Houthis. In fact, it was Saudi divide-and-rule tactics in Yemen, changing Saudi attitudes towards the Houthis and Saudi Arabia’s global campaign to promote anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian strands of ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Islam that helped pave the way for the current Yemen crisis.

It is only half a century ago that the Houthis were part of a Saudi effort to confront Arab nationalism. As an aside, Saudis and Israelis cooperated already then with Israeli military aircraft dropping weapons for the Saudi-backed rebels that included the Houthis. The deterioration in Saudi-Houthi relations accelerated just after the turn to this century when the Saudis funded the opening of a Salafi centre on the outskirts of the Houthi capital of Saada.

The centre constituted not only a challenge to the Houthis but also to the power of the Houthi leadership. It successfully appealed to the socially disadvantaged as well as youth who were attracted by Salafism’s egalitarianism, resented the power of the older generation and saw puritan Islam as a vehicle to challenge the traditional hierarchy. Fear of the Wahhabi/Salafi encroachment fuelled the Houthi’s armed fight against the government of the then President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his Saudi-backed successor Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and ultimately the Saudis themselves, which led to the kingdom’s military intervention in Yemen in March 2015.

To initially counter the threat, the leadership of the Houthis, Zaidis who are Shiites with practices more akin to Sunni Muslim ritual, turned to Iran for support in religious education, a development that further angered the kingdom, and laid the groundwork for a war that has devastated a country that already ranked as one of the world’s poorest.

The Saudi intervention was, however, about more than just confronting an Iranian proxy on its doorstep. For one, if anything, it was the intervention that really drove the Houthis and Iranians closer to one another. Even so, the Houthis remain an opportunity in a far broader Saudi-Iranian rivalry rather than a strategic target for the Iranians.&nbsp;

The Salmans, the king and his son, have since coming to office and despite the emergence of Donald Trump, taken to new heights a far more assertive foreign and military policy that was initially crafted by their predecessors in response to the popular Arab revolts in 2011. Make however no mistake, Saudi Arabia’s new assertiveness is not a declaration of independence from the United States even if the kingdom is expanding its international relations as is evident in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent tour of Asia.

On the contrary, Prince Mohammed made that very clear in multiple interviews. His goal was to force the United States to reengage in the Middle East as the best guarantor for regional stability. The Saudis appear to be operating on the basis of Karl Marx’s Verelendungs theory: things have to get worse to get better. That is the part of the backdrop of the stalled military intervention in Yemen. Dangling Iran as the real threat emanating from Yemen serves the Saudis’ purpose.

In doing so Saudi Arabia has proven to be driven. It is a drive that is fuelled by a perception that Iran poses an existential threat to Saudi Arabia. In fact, that may not be incorrect, certainly from the perception of the monarchy and its ruling family.

Saudi Arabia dazzles with the billions of dollars gained from oil exports that it is able to invest overseas and the investment opportunities it creates in the kingdom itself. But the truth of the matter is that long-term Saudi Arabia’s future is not that of a regional hegemon.

Saudi regional leadership, even if it has been tarnished in Yemen in military and reputational terms, amounts to exploitation of a window of opportunity rather than reliance on the assets and power needed to sustain it. Saudi Arabia’s interest is to extend its window of opportunity for as long as possible. That window of opportunity exists as long as the obvious regional powers – Iran, Turkey and Egypt – are in various degrees of disrepair. For now, punitive economic sanctions and international isolation take care of Iran.

And that is what bites. Iran may not be Arab and maintains a sense of Persian superiority, but it has like Turkey and Egypt assets Saudi Arabia lacks: a large population base, an industrial base, a huge domestic market, a battle-hardened military, a deep-rooted culture, a history of empire and geography that makes it a crossroads. Mecca and money will not be able to compete.

Add to all of these two factors. The Islamic regime came to power in a revolution that preceded the 2011 Arab revolts by 32 years. Moreover, the Iranian revolution toppled a monarch, not a president and an icon of US power in the Middle East.

Perhaps, more importantly, if one disregards the sanctioning of Iran, it is Iran rather than Saudi Arabia that is likely to shape the future energy architecture of Eurasia. Oil, in terms of demand, is a diminishing commodity. If the long-term future is renewables, the medium term will be shaped by gas. Iran has gas, Saudi Arabia does not, at least not the kind of gas it can export. In fact, Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves. Again, disregarding the sanctions, Iran would have in the next five years 24.6 billion cubic metres available for annual piped exports beyond its current supply commitments.

If, indeed, Iran poses an existential threat to the rule of the Al Saud family that it cannot eliminate and at best contain with the support of the United States, the question is what Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen is as well as in its broader rivalry with Iran. There are those who coherently argue that Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen may have initially been the roll-back of Houthi advances with their occupation of the Yemeni capital Sana’s and large parts of Yemen, destruction of Houthi power and forcing them into a situation in which they would have had to accept a Saudi-dictated end to the war.

Four years into the war, that is not a realistic goal. Short of that, the question is how sincere Saudi and for that matter, UAE interest is in finding a way out of the war. It is conceivable that short of outright victory, Saudi Arabia would want to keep Yemen weak and the Houthis militarily on the defensive. That is at best only sustainable in the short term. The fact of the matter is that the reputational damage Saudi Arabia has suffered is starting to hurt witness measures taken by the US Congress and Germany’s decision to halt arms sales to the kingdom. Conflicts are only ended, if not resolved if the pain of continuing the conflict is greater than the pain of ending it. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia could well be nearing the inflection point.

The problem is that even if the United Nations-mediated peace talks ultimately produce an end to the war, Yemen, if anything, will pose in the post-war era an even greater and more real threat. Yemen for much of post-World War two history has been an afterthought in the international community if it sparked a thought at all. Yet, what a post-war Yemen will represent is a devastated country that largely needs to be rebuilt from scratch, a country whose traumatised population has suffered one the world’s worst humanitarian disasters and will need all the after-care that goes with that.

Beyond the taking care of the most immediate humanitarian issues, there is little reason to believe that investors and governments with massive aid packages and offers of reconstruction will be knocking on Yemen’s doors. Like in Syria and Libya, the risk is of the emergence of a generation that has nothing to look forward to and nothing to lose. In Yemen, that generation is likely to deeply resent what it perceives Saudi Arabia has done to their country. If Saudi Arabia, long saw Yemen as the Gulf’s most populous nation with a battle-hardened military that needed to be managed, that new generation is likely to put flesh on the skeleton.

It's not a pretty picture to look forward to. And it is one in which the damage has already been done. Having said that, its never too late to try to limit the damage, if not reverse affairs. That, however, would take the kind of courage and vision that Prince Mohammed and others in power elsewhere in the Middle East have yet to demonstrate. 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

These are tough times for Saudi Arabia. The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out has captured public attention.

These are tough times for Saudi Arabia. The drama enveloping the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi and the brutal way in which it was carried out has captured public attention. In reality, however, Saudi Arabia’s real problems began earlier as a result of its conduct of the Yemen War. Saudi interference in Yemen that culminated in military intervention predates the four-year-old war. Yemen has long been perceived by Saudi Arabia as a threat. That threat went far beyond current Iranian support for the Houthis. In fact, it was Saudi divide-and-rule tactics in Yemen, changing Saudi attitudes towards the Houthis and Saudi Arabia’s global campaign to promote anti-Shiite, anti-Iranian strands of ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Islam that helped pave the way for the current Yemen crisis. It is only half a century ago that the Houthis were part of a Saudi effort to confront Arab nationalism. As an aside, Saudis and Israelis cooperated already then with Israeli military aircraft dropping weapons for the Saudi-backed rebels that included the Houthis. The deterioration in Saudi-Houthi relations accelerated just after the turn to this century when the Saudis funded the opening of a Salafi centre on the outskirts of the Houthi capital of Saada. The centre constituted not only a challenge to the Houthis but also to the power of the Houthi leadership. It successfully appealed to the socially disadvantaged as well as youth who were attracted by Salafism’s egalitarianism, resented the power of the older generation and saw puritan Islam as a vehicle to challenge the traditional hierarchy. Fear of the Wahhabi/Salafi encroachment fuelled the Houthi’s armed fight against the government of the then President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his Saudi-backed successor Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, and ultimately the Saudis themselves, which led to the kingdom’s military intervention in Yemen in March 2015. To initially counter the threat, the leadership of the Houthis, Zaidis who are Shiites with practices more akin to Sunni Muslim ritual, turned to Iran for support in religious education, a development that further angered the kingdom, and laid the groundwork for a war that has devastated a country that already ranked as one of the world’s poorest. The Saudi intervention was, however, about more than just confronting an Iranian proxy on its doorstep. For one, if anything, it was the intervention that really drove the Houthis and Iranians closer to one another. Even so, the Houthis remain an opportunity in a far broader Saudi-Iranian rivalry rather than a strategic target for the Iranians. The Salmans, the king and his son, have since coming to office and despite the emergence of Donald Trump, taken to new heights a far more assertive foreign and military policy that was initially crafted by their predecessors in response to the popular Arab revolts in 2011. Make however no mistake, Saudi Arabia’s new assertiveness is not a declaration of independence from the United States even if the kingdom is expanding its international relations as is evident in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s recent tour of Asia. On the contrary, Prince Mohammed made that very clear in multiple interviews. His goal was to force the United States to reengage in the Middle East as the best guarantor for regional stability. The Saudis appear to be operating on the basis of Karl Marx’s Verelendungs theory: things have to get worse to get better. That is the part of the backdrop of the stalled military intervention in Yemen. Dangling Iran as the real threat emanating from Yemen serves the Saudis’ purpose. In doing so Saudi Arabia has proven to be driven. It is a drive that is fuelled by a perception that Iran poses an existential threat to Saudi Arabia. In fact, that may not be incorrect, certainly from the perception of the monarchy and its ruling family. Saudi Arabia dazzles with the billions of dollars gained from oil exports that it is able to invest overseas and the investment opportunities it creates in the kingdom itself. But the truth of the matter is that long-term Saudi Arabia’s future is not that of a regional hegemon. Saudi regional leadership, even if it has been tarnished in Yemen in military and reputational terms, amounts to exploitation of a window of opportunity rather than reliance on the assets and power needed to sustain it. Saudi Arabia’s interest is to extend its window of opportunity for as long as possible. That window of opportunity exists as long as the obvious regional powers – Iran, Turkey and Egypt – are in various degrees of disrepair. For now, punitive economic sanctions and international isolation take care of Iran. And that is what bites. Iran may not be Arab and maintains a sense of Persian superiority, but it has like Turkey and Egypt assets Saudi Arabia lacks: a large population base, an industrial base, a huge domestic market, a battle-hardened military, a deep-rooted culture, a history of empire and geography that makes it a crossroads. Mecca and money will not be able to compete. Add to all of these two factors. The Islamic regime came to power in a revolution that preceded the 2011 Arab revolts by 32 years. Moreover, the Iranian revolution toppled a monarch, not a president and an icon of US power in the Middle East. Perhaps, more importantly, if one disregards the sanctioning of Iran, it is Iran rather than Saudi Arabia that is likely to shape the future energy architecture of Eurasia. Oil, in terms of demand, is a diminishing commodity. If the long-term future is renewables, the medium term will be shaped by gas. Iran has gas, Saudi Arabia does not, at least not the kind of gas it can export. In fact, Iran has the world’s second largest gas reserves. Again, disregarding the sanctions, Iran would have in the next five years 24.6 billion cubic metres available for annual piped exports beyond its current supply commitments. If, indeed, Iran poses an existential threat to the rule of the Al Saud family that it cannot eliminate and at best contain with the support of the United States, the question is what Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen is as well as in its broader rivalry with Iran. There are those who coherently argue that Saudi Arabia’s goal in Yemen may have initially been the roll-back of Houthi advances with their occupation of the Yemeni capital Sana’s and large parts of Yemen, destruction of Houthi power and forcing them into a situation in which they would have had to accept a Saudi-dictated end to the war. Four years into the war, that is not a realistic goal. Short of that, the question is how sincere Saudi and for that matter, UAE interest is in finding a way out of the war. It is conceivable that short of outright victory, Saudi Arabia would want to keep Yemen weak and the Houthis militarily on the defensive. That is at best only sustainable in the short term. The fact of the matter is that the reputational damage Saudi Arabia has suffered is starting to hurt witness measures taken by the US Congress and Germany’s decision to halt arms sales to the kingdom. Conflicts are only ended, if not resolved if the pain of continuing the conflict is greater than the pain of ending it. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia could well be nearing the inflection point. The problem is that even if the United Nations-mediated peace talks ultimately produce an end to the war, Yemen, if anything, will pose in the post-war era an even greater and more real threat. Yemen for much of post-World War two history has been an afterthought in the international community if it sparked a thought at all. Yet, what a post-war Yemen will represent is a devastated country that largely needs to be rebuilt from scratch, a country whose traumatised population has suffered one the world’s worst humanitarian disasters and will need all the after-care that goes with that. Beyond the taking care of the most immediate humanitarian issues, there is little reason to believe that investors and governments with massive aid packages and offers of reconstruction will be knocking on Yemen’s doors. Like in Syria and Libya, the risk is of the emergence of a generation that has nothing to look forward to and nothing to lose. In Yemen, that generation is likely to deeply resent what it perceives Saudi Arabia has done to their country. If Saudi Arabia, long saw Yemen as the Gulf’s most populous nation with a battle-hardened military that needed to be managed, that new generation is likely to put flesh on the skeleton. It's not a pretty picture to look forward to. And it is one in which the damage has already been done. Having said that, its never too late to try to limit the damage, if not reverse affairs. That, however, would take the kind of courage and vision that Prince Mohammed and others in power elsewhere in the Middle East have yet to demonstrate. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

In Yemen, Saudi Arabia could be nearing the inflection point

Residents of Yemen's flashpoint port of Hodeida and other cities fear a UN-brokered ceasefire could collapse at any moment, saying that after four years of conflict any accord is deeply fragile.

On Friday morning, a day after the breakthrough agreement was penned in Sweden by representatives of the Yemeni government and the Huthi Shiite rebels, many held their breath.

The Red Sea port of Hodeida, the main front line between rebels and loyalist forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and a key conduit of aid, had woken to calm after weeks of confrontation.

But hours later scattered clashes broke out with artillery and machinegun exchanges heard through the south and east of the city, residents said.

It was the first test of the fragile ceasefire.

Saturday morning saw calm return to Hodeida, but shops and schools remained shuttered as gunmen deployed in the south and east.

And on Saturday evening a Hodeida resident told AFP he could hear "continuous sounds of fire exchange and artillery" in the east of the city.

"Did they sign an agreement to end the war or to start it?", the resident asked.

Others had earlier voiced scepticism that the deal would hold.&nbsp;

"I was so happy they had reached a solution for Hodeida but our happiness was short lived," 28-year-old Hodeida resident Noha Ahmad told AFP after Friday night's clashes.

Omar Hassan, 40, said residents of the beleaguered city have been "desperately waiting for calm and security to be restored".

"Now we are afraid that clashes will return and persist," he said.

Thursday's ceasefire accord has been seen as the most significant step towards ending Yemen's devastating conflict, but analysts warned its success depends on sustained international pressure.

Under the terms of the accord, an "immediate" ceasefire is supposed to be implemented in Hodeida and fighters are due to withdraw in the next few days.

'Treacherous enemy'

A prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees is planned and a "mutual understanding" struck to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under control of loyalists but besieged by rebels.

The two sides also agreed to meet again in late January, for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement.

Some believe Thursday's hard-won accord will come to nought.

"We don't expect the enemy to abide by the agreement because the enemy is treacherous and not peaceful," said Mohammed Abdo, a fighter patrolling a Hodeida street and holding a rifle.

"Peace comes through guns," he said.

Elsewhere in the city -- in central and northern districts -- it was business as usual on Saturday with markets thronged with shoppers, but even there residents were cautious.

"Truces are always broken and the current agreement could collapse at any second," said a resident who declined to be identified.

Rebel-controlled Hodeida has been the target of an offensive launched by the Saudi-led coalition in June.

"The talks in Sweden were a positive step in light of the humanitarian hardships of Yemen and Hodeida in particular," said shop owner Marwan Halissi.

But he too agreed that more should be done to cement the ceasefire, calling for a bigger UN role and more "pressure on coalition countries" to pave the way for a lasting settlement.

'Ready and prepared'

In other parts of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, there were also concerns that the ceasefire struck in the Swedish city of Rimbo could be short lived.

In the rebel-held capital Sanaa, the ceasefire agreement was met with mixed emotions.

On Friday, the day of the main weekly Muslim prayers, clerics issued calls on citizens to enlist in the ranks of the Huthis, pro-rebel media reported.

The Huthis also issued a statement saying "we are prepared for any option and to retaliate against any &nbsp;violation by the enemy".

Ismail al-Ghobeiri, strolling in a Sanaa market, struck a hopeful note.&nbsp;

"We hope that both sides will respect what they agreed on and, if this is done, then the next round of negotiations" due to be held in January, will have a chance, he said.

Further south in the loyalist-held second city of Aden, residents welcomed the ceasefire and hoped it would hold for the sake of war-weary civilians.

"We hope that the warring sides will think of the people who are on the threshold of despair," said Hassan bin Attaf.

"We pray to God to calm everyone -- politicians, military commanders and coalition forces -- so that the ceasefire will hold and the war will stop," he said.

The UN says the conflict has killed some 10,000 people and brought 14 million to the brink of famine in the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Human rights groups say the death toll could be five times as high.

Residents of Yemen's flashpoint port of Hodeida and other cities fear a UN-brokered ceasefire could collapse at any moment, saying that after four years of conflict any accord is deeply fragile.

Residents of Yemen's flashpoint port of Hodeida and other cities fear a UN-brokered ceasefire could collapse at any moment, saying that after four years of conflict any accord is deeply fragile. On Friday morning, a day after the breakthrough agreement was penned in Sweden by representatives of the Yemeni government and the Huthi Shiite rebels, many held their breath. The Red Sea port of Hodeida, the main front line between rebels and loyalist forces backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and a key conduit of aid, had woken to calm after weeks of confrontation. But hours later scattered clashes broke out with artillery and machinegun exchanges heard through the south and east of the city, residents said. It was the first test of the fragile ceasefire. Saturday morning saw calm return to Hodeida, but shops and schools remained shuttered as gunmen deployed in the south and east. And on Saturday evening a Hodeida resident told AFP he could hear "continuous sounds of fire exchange and artillery" in the east of the city. "Did they sign an agreement to end the war or to start it?", the resident asked. Others had earlier voiced scepticism that the deal would hold. "I was so happy they had reached a solution for Hodeida but our happiness was short lived," 28-year-old Hodeida resident Noha Ahmad told AFP after Friday night's clashes. Omar Hassan, 40, said residents of the beleaguered city have been "desperately waiting for calm and security to be restored". "Now we are afraid that clashes will return and persist," he said. Thursday's ceasefire accord has been seen as the most significant step towards ending Yemen's devastating conflict, but analysts warned its success depends on sustained international pressure. Under the terms of the accord, an "immediate" ceasefire is supposed to be implemented in Hodeida and fighters are due to withdraw in the next few days. 'Treacherous enemy' A prisoner swap involving some 15,000 detainees is planned and a "mutual understanding" struck to facilitate aid deliveries to Yemen's third city Taiz -- under control of loyalists but besieged by rebels. The two sides also agreed to meet again in late January, for more talks to define the framework for negotiations on a comprehensive peace settlement. Some believe Thursday's hard-won accord will come to nought. "We don't expect the enemy to abide by the agreement because the enemy is treacherous and not peaceful," said Mohammed Abdo, a fighter patrolling a Hodeida street and holding a rifle. "Peace comes through guns," he said. Elsewhere in the city -- in central and northern districts -- it was business as usual on Saturday with markets thronged with shoppers, but even there residents were cautious. "Truces are always broken and the current agreement could collapse at any second," said a resident who declined to be identified. Rebel-controlled Hodeida has been the target of an offensive launched by the Saudi-led coalition in June. "The talks in Sweden were a positive step in light of the humanitarian hardships of Yemen and Hodeida in particular," said shop owner Marwan Halissi. But he too agreed that more should be done to cement the ceasefire, calling for a bigger UN role and more "pressure on coalition countries" to pave the way for a lasting settlement. 'Ready and prepared' In other parts of the impoverished Arabian Peninsula country, there were also concerns that the ceasefire struck in the Swedish city of Rimbo could be short lived. In the rebel-held capital Sanaa, the ceasefire agreement was met with mixed emotions. On Friday, the day of the main weekly Muslim prayers, clerics issued calls on citizens to enlist in the ranks of the Huthis, pro-rebel media reported. The Huthis also issued a statement saying "we are prepared for any option and to retaliate against any violation by the enemy". Ismail al-Ghobeiri, strolling in a Sanaa market, struck a hopeful note. "We hope that both sides will respect what they agreed on and, if this is done, then the next round of negotiations" due to be held in January, will have a chance, he said. Further south in the loyalist-held second city of Aden, residents welcomed the ceasefire and hoped it would hold for the sake of war-weary civilians. "We hope that the warring sides will think of the people who are on the threshold of despair," said Hassan bin Attaf. "We pray to God to calm everyone -- politicians, military commanders and coalition forces -- so that the ceasefire will hold and the war will stop," he said. The UN says the conflict has killed some 10,000 people and brought 14 million to the brink of famine in the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Human rights groups say the death toll could be five times as high.

Yemenis fear collapse of UN-backed ceasefire accord

Yemeni government forces pressed further into the strategic port city of Hodeida, seizing its main hospital in heavy fighting Saturday, as their Saudi-led coalition backers put a brave face on an end to US refuelling support.

A loyalist official said mortar rounds were "falling like rain" in the streets as troops overcame rebel-laid mines and snipers to take control of the main hospital in the city of some 600,000 people.

The rebels have put up fierce resistance to the government advance towards the city's vital docks, which are the point of entry for 80 per cent of Yemen's commercial imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid.

The grinding Saudi-led war in Yemen has caused growing international unease after high-profile coalition air strikes that have killed scores of civilians, many of them children.

The intensified coalition-backed push into Hodeida, which has claimed the lives of at least 382 combatants this month, comes despite aid agency warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe in the event of a protracted battle for the city.

Some 14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine and many more are dependent on international aid, according to UN agency figures, making it vital that Hodeida's port remains open and undamaged.

Yemeni officials said Saturday that pro-government forces had captured the city's May 22 Hospital.

Amnesty International had earlier accused the Huthis of "deliberate militarisation" of the facility after they posted snipers on its roof.

'Street fighting'

Two days after loyalist troops entered residential neighbourhoods of Hodeida for the first time, fighting raged in the city's east as pro-government forces backed by air strikes and helicopters sought to push deeper into the city.

"The battles here are turning into street fighting," one loyalist official said, adding that pro-government forces had advanced around a kilometre along a major highway into the city on Saturday.

Hodeida resident Lubna, who asked that her full name not be used for fear of retaliation, said "the noise of Apache helicopters, artillery and gunfire" was incessant.

Huthi forces were using artillery to pound advancing loyalist forces, at times firing from residential areas, she said, fearing this "could mean that civilians pay the highest price".

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Saturday urged the coalition, the Huthis "and all those supplying arms to the parties to the conflict to take immediate steps to end the suffering of civilians in Yemen".

Save the Children field coordinator Mariam Aldogani spoke of intense coalition air strikes, with over 15 hitting in the space of just 30 minutes.&nbsp;

"This is the worst time for Hodeida children," she said.

The UN Human Rights Office, meanwhile, said there were "serious concerns about the fate of 900 detainees" at six pre-trial detention facilities and Hodeida's central prison, which was hit by mortar shells on Monday.

Refuelling deal scrapped

The suspension of US assistance to refuel coalition aircraft comes as Washington's backing of the war effort faces increased scrutiny following international outrage over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.

In an apparent face-saving move, Saudi Arabia sought to project the decision as its own, not Washington's.

The Pentagon had been providing refuelling capabilities for about 20 percent of coalition planes flying sorties over Yemen.

Saudi-controlled media suggested the coalition had the capacity to make up the shortfall.

Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath television reported that the kingdom has 23 planes of its own for refuelling operations devoted to Yemen operations, while the UAE has six.

Loyalist commander Colonel Sadiq Duwaid said the decision would "not affect" the coalition assault on Hodeida, which would continue "until the Huthi militias surrender".

The intensified battle for Hodeida comes despite Pentagon chief James Mattis calling last month for a ceasefire and negotiations between Yemen's warring parties within 30 days.

The United Nations has since pushed that deadline back to the end of the year.

In an op-ed published by The Washington Post on Friday, the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said the escalating offensive in Hodeida showed Mattis's ceasefire call was "nothing but empty talk".

The article infuriated Yemeni government officials, who accused the Post of providing a platform to a "war criminal".&nbsp;

The Huthis have controlled Hodeida since 2014 when they overran the capital Sanaa and swept though much of the rest of the country, triggering the Saudi-led intervention the following year.

The rebels have since been driven out of virtually all of the south and much of the Red Sea coast.

At least 110 airstrikes were carried out in Hodeida, Saada, the Huthi stronghold in northern Yemen, and Sanaa between 31 October and 6 November, the UN Human Rights Office said Saturday.&nbsp;

Yemeni government forces pressed further into the strategic port city of Hodeida, seizing its main hospital in heavy fighting Saturday, as their Saudi-led coalition backers put a brave face on an end to US refuelling support.

Yemeni government forces pressed further into the strategic port city of Hodeida, seizing its main hospital in heavy fighting Saturday, as their Saudi-led coalition backers put a brave face on an end to US refuelling support. A loyalist official said mortar rounds were "falling like rain" in the streets as troops overcame rebel-laid mines and snipers to take control of the main hospital in the city of some 600,000 people. The rebels have put up fierce resistance to the government advance towards the city's vital docks, which are the point of entry for 80 per cent of Yemen's commercial imports and nearly all UN-supervised humanitarian aid. The grinding Saudi-led war in Yemen has caused growing international unease after high-profile coalition air strikes that have killed scores of civilians, many of them children. The intensified coalition-backed push into Hodeida, which has claimed the lives of at least 382 combatants this month, comes despite aid agency warnings of a humanitarian catastrophe in the event of a protracted battle for the city. Some 14 million Yemenis are at risk of famine and many more are dependent on international aid, according to UN agency figures, making it vital that Hodeida's port remains open and undamaged. Yemeni officials said Saturday that pro-government forces had captured the city's May 22 Hospital. Amnesty International had earlier accused the Huthis of "deliberate militarisation" of the facility after they posted snipers on its roof. 'Street fighting' Two days after loyalist troops entered residential neighbourhoods of Hodeida for the first time, fighting raged in the city's east as pro-government forces backed by air strikes and helicopters sought to push deeper into the city. "The battles here are turning into street fighting," one loyalist official said, adding that pro-government forces had advanced around a kilometre along a major highway into the city on Saturday. Hodeida resident Lubna, who asked that her full name not be used for fear of retaliation, said "the noise of Apache helicopters, artillery and gunfire" was incessant. Huthi forces were using artillery to pound advancing loyalist forces, at times firing from residential areas, she said, fearing this "could mean that civilians pay the highest price". UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Saturday urged the coalition, the Huthis "and all those supplying arms to the parties to the conflict to take immediate steps to end the suffering of civilians in Yemen". Save the Children field coordinator Mariam Aldogani spoke of intense coalition air strikes, with over 15 hitting in the space of just 30 minutes. "This is the worst time for Hodeida children," she said. The UN Human Rights Office, meanwhile, said there were "serious concerns about the fate of 900 detainees" at six pre-trial detention facilities and Hodeida's central prison, which was hit by mortar shells on Monday. Refuelling deal scrapped The suspension of US assistance to refuel coalition aircraft comes as Washington's backing of the war effort faces increased scrutiny following international outrage over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder last month in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. In an apparent face-saving move, Saudi Arabia sought to project the decision as its own, not Washington's. The Pentagon had been providing refuelling capabilities for about 20 percent of coalition planes flying sorties over Yemen. Saudi-controlled media suggested the coalition had the capacity to make up the shortfall. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath television reported that the kingdom has 23 planes of its own for refuelling operations devoted to Yemen operations, while the UAE has six. Loyalist commander Colonel Sadiq Duwaid said the decision would "not affect" the coalition assault on Hodeida, which would continue "until the Huthi militias surrender". The intensified battle for Hodeida comes despite Pentagon chief James Mattis calling last month for a ceasefire and negotiations between Yemen's warring parties within 30 days. The United Nations has since pushed that deadline back to the end of the year. In an op-ed published by The Washington Post on Friday, the head of the rebels' Supreme Revolutionary Committee, Mohammed Ali al-Huthi, said the escalating offensive in Hodeida showed Mattis's ceasefire call was "nothing but empty talk". The article infuriated Yemeni government officials, who accused the Post of providing a platform to a "war criminal". The Huthis have controlled Hodeida since 2014 when they overran the capital Sanaa and swept though much of the rest of the country, triggering the Saudi-led intervention the following year. The rebels have since been driven out of virtually all of the south and much of the Red Sea coast. At least 110 airstrikes were carried out in Hodeida, Saada, the Huthi stronghold in northern Yemen, and Sanaa between 31 October and 6 November, the UN Human Rights Office said Saturday.

Yemen loyalists push deeper into Hodeida as US cuts support

The number of Yemenis on the brink of famine could rise to 12 million - or two in five of the population - from around 8.5 million in coming months due to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-probe-reports-possible-war-crimes-by-all-sides-in-yemen-conflict-162092">escalating war and a deepening economic crisis</a>, the United Nations food agency said on Monday.

Yemen has been torn apart by more than three years of civil war between the internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and based in the south, and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls the north, including the capital Sanaa. The nation of some 30 million is the Arabian peninsula's poorest.

As fighting intensifies, particularly around the main port city of Hodeidah, and the economic situation deteriorates, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it feared millions struggling to make ends meet would succumb to severe hunger and disease.

"If this situation persists, we could see an additional 3.5 million severely insecure Yemenis... who urgently require regular food assistance to prevent them from slipping into famine-like conditions," WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel said.

The agency is scaling up its emergency food and nutrition aid to reach 8 million Yemenis every month, he said.

The Saudi-led alliance, which is backed by Western countries led by Britain and the United States supplying weapons and intelligence, imposed a blockade on Hodeidah for several weeks at the end of last year, saying it was to prevent Houthis from importing weapons.

Yemen traditionally imports 90 percent of its food.

All its air, land and sea ports were currently functioning, but fighting around Hodeidah was preventing WFP workers from reaching its 51,000 tonnes of wheat stocks at the Red Sea Mills facility - enough to feed 3.7 million people in northern and central Yemen for one month, Verhoosel said.

The number of Yemenis on the brink of famine could rise to 12 million - or two in five of the population - from around 8.5 million in coming months due to escalating war and a deepening economic crisis, the United Nations food agency said on Monday.

The number of Yemenis on the brink of famine could rise to 12 million - or two in five of the population - from around 8.5 million in coming months due to escalating war and a deepening economic crisis, the United Nations food agency said on Monday. Yemen has been torn apart by more than three years of civil war between the internationally recognised government, backed by a Saudi-led military coalition and based in the south, and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls the north, including the capital Sanaa. The nation of some 30 million is the Arabian peninsula's poorest. As fighting intensifies, particularly around the main port city of Hodeidah, and the economic situation deteriorates, the World Food Programme (WFP) said it feared millions struggling to make ends meet would succumb to severe hunger and disease. "If this situation persists, we could see an additional 3.5 million severely insecure Yemenis... who urgently require regular food assistance to prevent them from slipping into famine-like conditions," WFP spokesman Herve Verhoosel said. The agency is scaling up its emergency food and nutrition aid to reach 8 million Yemenis every month, he said. The Saudi-led alliance, which is backed by Western countries led by Britain and the United States supplying weapons and intelligence, imposed a blockade on Hodeidah for several weeks at the end of last year, saying it was to prevent Houthis from importing weapons. Yemen traditionally imports 90 percent of its food. All its air, land and sea ports were currently functioning, but fighting around Hodeidah was preventing WFP workers from reaching its 51,000 tonnes of wheat stocks at the Red Sea Mills facility - enough to feed 3.7 million people in northern and central Yemen for one month, Verhoosel said.

Yemen conflict could push millions more to brink of famine: UN

Clashes and air strikes in southwest Yemen have killed more than 40 soldiers, rebels and civilians over the past 24 hours, officials and medics said today.

Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have pounded Huthi rebel positions east of the Red Sea port of Mokha and other areas of Taez province since yesterday, a military official said.

Clashes raged after the air raids in the Jabal al-Nar area east of Mokha and north of the city on the road to Hodeida, Yemen&#39;s main Red Sea port, the official said.

At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said.

The coalition-backed government says Hodeida is its next target in a months-long offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-backed insurgents away from the country&#39;s lengthy Red Sea coastline.

Another 11 rebels were killed in air strikes on Kamran island and a base in Hodeida itself, the medical sources said.

Ten soldiers were also killed and 15 were wounded in the confrontations, said medical sources in Aden, the temporary base of the government as Sanaa remains under rebel control.

Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bombing that targeted the convoy of General Ali Muqbel Saleh, commander of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, in Daleh city, a security official said.

A medical source in Daleh confirmed the toll.

The war between the government and the rebels escalated in March 2015 when the Arab coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

The UN estimates that more than 7,700 people have been killed over the past two years and more than 40,000 wounded in impoverished Yemen which faces a serious risk of famine this year.

(AFP)

At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said

Clashes and air strikes in southwest Yemen have killed more than 40 soldiers, rebels and civilians over the past 24 hours, officials and medics said today. Warplanes from the Saudi-led Arab coalition have pounded Huthi rebel positions east of the Red Sea port of Mokha and other areas of Taez province since yesterday, a military official said. Clashes raged after the air raids in the Jabal al-Nar area east of Mokha and north of the city on the road to Hodeida, Yemen's main Red Sea port, the official said. At least 17 rebels were killed in the air strikes and fighting, medical sources in rebel-held Hodeida said. The coalition-backed government says Hodeida is its next target in a months-long offensive aimed at pushing the Iran-backed insurgents away from the country's lengthy Red Sea coastline. Another 11 rebels were killed in air strikes on Kamran island and a base in Hodeida itself, the medical sources said. Ten soldiers were also killed and 15 were wounded in the confrontations, said medical sources in Aden, the temporary base of the government as Sanaa remains under rebel control. Meanwhile, three civilians were killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bombing that targeted the convoy of General Ali Muqbel Saleh, commander of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, in Daleh city, a security official said. A medical source in Daleh confirmed the toll. The war between the government and the rebels escalated in March 2015 when the Arab coalition intervened in support of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The UN estimates that more than 7,700 people have been killed over the past two years and more than 40,000 wounded in impoverished Yemen which faces a serious risk of famine this year. (AFP)

More than 40 killed in clashes in Yemen in last 24 hours

Eleven civilians, including five members of one family, and 14 Houthi rebels have been killed in shelling and air strikes in Yemen in two days, military and rebel sources said Monday.

An air strike by the pro-government Saudi-led coalition killed five Shiite rebels on Monday when it targeted a convoy of three vehicles in Marees, in the southern province of Daleh, a military official said.

One of the vehicles was transporting weapons, the official said, adding three other rebels were wounded in the strike.

Six other insurgents were killed in a similar raid on two vehicles in Al-Makhdara, in the central province of Marib, another military official said.

Shelling by government forces killed three more rebels in the same area of Marib, east of the rebel-held capital Sanaa.

The Arab coalition started an air campaign against the Iran-backed rebels in March 2015 after the insurgents closed in on President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden.

Rebel media accused the coalition of conducting air strikes on Monday across several regions in Yemen, killing two civilians in the western province of Hodeida.

A military official told AFP an air strike on Sunday hit a house in Marib, killing five members of the same family.&nbsp;

It took place in the village of Wadi Habab, in the Sarwah region, a major front in the war between the rebels and forces loyal to Hadi, the insurgents&#39;&nbsp;news website sabanews.net said.

Meanwhile, four civilians, including three children, were killed on Sunday in rebel bombing that targeted residential areas in the southwestern city of Taez, a local official and medical sources said.

The Yemen conflict has killed more than 7,000 people since the coalition intervened, according to the United Nations.&nbsp;

(AFP)

The Arab coalition started an air campaign against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in March 2015

Eleven civilians, including five members of one family, and 14 Houthi rebels have been killed in shelling and air strikes in Yemen in two days, military and rebel sources said Monday. An air strike by the pro-government Saudi-led coalition killed five Shiite rebels on Monday when it targeted a convoy of three vehicles in Marees, in the southern province of Daleh, a military official said. One of the vehicles was transporting weapons, the official said, adding three other rebels were wounded in the strike. Six other insurgents were killed in a similar raid on two vehicles in Al-Makhdara, in the central province of Marib, another military official said. Shelling by government forces killed three more rebels in the same area of Marib, east of the rebel-held capital Sanaa. The Arab coalition started an air campaign against the Iran-backed rebels in March 2015 after the insurgents closed in on President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi in his refuge in the southern city of Aden. Rebel media accused the coalition of conducting air strikes on Monday across several regions in Yemen, killing two civilians in the western province of Hodeida. A military official told AFP an air strike on Sunday hit a house in Marib, killing five members of the same family. It took place in the village of Wadi Habab, in the Sarwah region, a major front in the war between the rebels and forces loyal to Hadi, the insurgents' news website sabanews.net said. Meanwhile, four civilians, including three children, were killed on Sunday in rebel bombing that targeted residential areas in the southwestern city of Taez, a local official and medical sources said. The Yemen conflict has killed more than 7,000 people since the coalition intervened, according to the United Nations. (AFP)

Yemen: Bombing, airstrikes kill 25 including Houthi rebels

A 48-hour ceasefire announced by a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen began on Saturday, after the beleaguered government finally agreed to a US peace push.

The government, which has deep reservations about a UN peace blueprint it believes undermines its authority, had previously rejected a ceasefire plan announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks with the rebels in Oman earlier this week.

But it has come under huge pressure to back down in the face of an international outcry over the mounting civilian death toll from 20 months of conflict.

&quot;There are international pressures to observe a ceasefire and to resume (peace) negotiations,&quot; a source close to the presidency told AFP, requesting anonymity.

The announcement of the ceasefire came not from the government but from the coalition which intervened to prop it up in March last year. &quot;It has been decided to begin a 48-hour ceasefire from 12:00 noon Yemen time (0900 GMT) on Saturday,&quot; a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency said.

It added that the truce could be extended if the rebels hold fire and allow aid deliveries to besieged loyalist enclaves.

A spokesman for forces allied to the Huthi rebels, Brigadier General Sharaf Luqman, confirmed that they would abide by the ceasefire. &quot;Based on the agreement reached in Muscat, we affirm our commitment to the ceasefire if the other party respects it,&quot; Luqman said, referring to the accord signed with Kerry in the Omani capital on Monday.&nbsp;

Six previous attempts to clinch a ceasefire have foundered, the latest in October.

The government of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has been deeply reluctant to accept UN proposals to form a unity administration with the rebels for fear of undermining his legitimacy. The coalition underlined that the ceasefire came at Hadi&#39;s request.

The president asked Saudi King Salman for the pause &quot;in response to UN and international efforts to bring peace to Yemen&quot; and allow aid deliveries, its statement said.

More than 7,000 people have been killed in Yemen and nearly 37,000 wounded since the coalition intervention began, the United Nations says.

&nbsp;

Blockade to continue

Millions of civilians are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Many have fled their homes.

The coalition has enforced an air and sea blockade on rebel-held areas throughout its intervention. That will remain in place for the duration of the ceasefire, it said. Despite the support of coalition firepower, the government&#39;s writ is still largely confined to the south and areas along the Saudi border.

The capital Sanaa, the Red Sea coast and most of the northern and central highlands remain in the hands of the rebels and their allies.

The millions of civilians in those areas are dependent on basic goods delivered under UN supervision. Some towns held by loyalist garrisons are under siege by the rebels.

Third city Taez is dependent on a single supply line to the rest of government-held territory that comes under frequent bombardment by the rebels.

The coalition insisted that aid must be allowed into those areas for the ceasefire to be extended. It also demanded that the rebels send representatives to a monitoring committee provided for under a previous, abortive ceasefire.

That committee is to meet just across the border in Saudi Arabia. During their meeting with Kerry on Monday, the rebels and their allies signed an agreement to attend.

&quot;We agree to send representatives to take part in the meetings of the calming and coordination committee,&quot; it said.

The border area remains volatile. A Saudi guard was killed on Thursday when a missile launched from Yemen crashed into a border post in the Asir region.

(AFP)

The government has come under huge pressure to back down after an international outcry over the increasing civilian death toll

A 48-hour ceasefire announced by a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen began on Saturday, after the beleaguered government finally agreed to a US peace push. The government, which has deep reservations about a UN peace blueprint it believes undermines its authority, had previously rejected a ceasefire plan announced by US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks with the rebels in Oman earlier this week. But it has come under huge pressure to back down in the face of an international outcry over the mounting civilian death toll from 20 months of conflict. "There are international pressures to observe a ceasefire and to resume (peace) negotiations," a source close to the presidency told AFP, requesting anonymity. The announcement of the ceasefire came not from the government but from the coalition which intervened to prop it up in March last year. "It has been decided to begin a 48-hour ceasefire from 12:00 noon Yemen time (0900 GMT) on Saturday," a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency said. It added that the truce could be extended if the rebels hold fire and allow aid deliveries to besieged loyalist enclaves. A spokesman for forces allied to the Huthi rebels, Brigadier General Sharaf Luqman, confirmed that they would abide by the ceasefire. "Based on the agreement reached in Muscat, we affirm our commitment to the ceasefire if the other party respects it," Luqman said, referring to the accord signed with Kerry in the Omani capital on Monday. Six previous attempts to clinch a ceasefire have foundered, the latest in October. The government of exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi has been deeply reluctant to accept UN proposals to form a unity administration with the rebels for fear of undermining his legitimacy. The coalition underlined that the ceasefire came at Hadi's request. The president asked Saudi King Salman for the pause "in response to UN and international efforts to bring peace to Yemen" and allow aid deliveries, its statement said. More than 7,000 people have been killed in Yemen and nearly 37,000 wounded since the coalition intervention began, the United Nations says. Blockade to continue Millions of civilians are in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Many have fled their homes. The coalition has enforced an air and sea blockade on rebel-held areas throughout its intervention. That will remain in place for the duration of the ceasefire, it said. Despite the support of coalition firepower, the government's writ is still largely confined to the south and areas along the Saudi border. The capital Sanaa, the Red Sea coast and most of the northern and central highlands remain in the hands of the rebels and their allies. The millions of civilians in those areas are dependent on basic goods delivered under UN supervision. Some towns held by loyalist garrisons are under siege by the rebels. Third city Taez is dependent on a single supply line to the rest of government-held territory that comes under frequent bombardment by the rebels. The coalition insisted that aid must be allowed into those areas for the ceasefire to be extended. It also demanded that the rebels send representatives to a monitoring committee provided for under a previous, abortive ceasefire. That committee is to meet just across the border in Saudi Arabia. During their meeting with Kerry on Monday, the rebels and their allies signed an agreement to attend. "We agree to send representatives to take part in the meetings of the calming and coordination committee," it said. The border area remains volatile. A Saudi guard was killed on Thursday when a missile launched from Yemen crashed into a border post in the Asir region. (AFP)

Yemen: 48-hour ceasefire begins after US push

US secretary of state John Kerry held talks Monday with officials in Oman on efforts to end Yemen&#39;s 19-month conflict, state media in Muscat said.

Kerry and Oman&#39;s foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi discussed the &quot;peaceful and humanitarian role played by the sultanate in Yemen,&quot; ONA state news agency reported.&nbsp;

Kerry is also expected to meet ruler Sultan Qaboos, in one of his last trips as secretary of state before President Barack Obama&#39;s administration ends on January 20.

The US chief diplomat has been pushing for a settlement of Yemen&#39;s deadly conflict, which escalated with the military intervention of a Saudi-led coalition to support the government against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in March 2015.

Oman, one of the few Arab states to have good relations with Iran, has used its links to mediate peace talks between the insurgents and Yemen&#39;s UN-recognised government of president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi.

It is also the only Arab nation in the Gulf not part of the Saudi-led coalition, although it maintains good relations with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia.

More than 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 37,000 wounded in Yemen since March 2015, and the UN says millions are in need of food aid.

Another 21 million people urgently need health services, according to the UN health agency.

On Monday, 12 civilians, including a child, were killed in an air raid that targeted a convoy of three lorries in the central Ibb province, while nine rebels were killed in an ambush in the same region, military and medical sources said.

Five other rebels, three soldiers and one civilian were killed Sunday in renewed violence in the southwestern Taez province, military sources said. &nbsp;&nbsp;

After Oman, Kerry will travel to Abu Dhabi for talks on regional conflicts, including Syria. 
 
(AFP)

Oman has used its links with Iran to mediate peace talks between the Houthi rebels and Yemen's UN-recognised Hadi government

US secretary of state John Kerry held talks Monday with officials in Oman on efforts to end Yemen's 19-month conflict, state media in Muscat said. Kerry and Oman's foreign minister Yusuf bin Alawi discussed the "peaceful and humanitarian role played by the sultanate in Yemen," ONA state news agency reported. Kerry is also expected to meet ruler Sultan Qaboos, in one of his last trips as secretary of state before President Barack Obama's administration ends on January 20. The US chief diplomat has been pushing for a settlement of Yemen's deadly conflict, which escalated with the military intervention of a Saudi-led coalition to support the government against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in March 2015. Oman, one of the few Arab states to have good relations with Iran, has used its links to mediate peace talks between the insurgents and Yemen's UN-recognised government of president Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. It is also the only Arab nation in the Gulf not part of the Saudi-led coalition, although it maintains good relations with regional powerhouse Saudi Arabia. More than 7,000 people have been killed and nearly 37,000 wounded in Yemen since March 2015, and the UN says millions are in need of food aid. Another 21 million people urgently need health services, according to the UN health agency. On Monday, 12 civilians, including a child, were killed in an air raid that targeted a convoy of three lorries in the central Ibb province, while nine rebels were killed in an ambush in the same region, military and medical sources said. Five other rebels, three soldiers and one civilian were killed Sunday in renewed violence in the southwestern Taez province, military sources said. After Oman, Kerry will travel to Abu Dhabi for talks on regional conflicts, including Syria. (AFP)

US, Oman hold talks for resolution of Yemen conflict

Yemen&#39;s President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi turned down a United Nations peace proposal amid Arab coalition-led air strikes killed at least 60 rebels, inmates and civilians in separate incidents.&nbsp;

Hadi even refused to receive the peace proposal submitted by the UN envoy as he met the mediator in Riyadh.&nbsp;

On Saturday, four airstrikes hit three residential buildings in the town of Salo killing 17 and wounding seven others. A Yemeni official loyal to Hadi said that coalition air strikes hit the homes &quot;by mistake&quot;.&nbsp;

In another incident, at least 45 people were killed as Arab warplanes struck a prison holding 84 inmates, &nbsp;inmates, a local official, relatives and medical sources in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port said on Sunday.

The warplanes struck the prison three times.&nbsp;A number of rebels inside the building at the time were also killed in the attack, the source added.

Further south in second city Aden, the temporary seat of government, guards on Saturday thwarted a suicide attack on the central bank, opening fire on the bomber&#39;s vehicle and blowing it up before it reached the building, a security official said.

Yemen&#39;s civil war

Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi`s government have been locked since 2014 in deadly battles with Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels who overran the capital Sanaa late that year.

The war has left nearly 7,000 people dead, mostly civilians, according to the United Nations.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

At least 60 people died as multiple airstrikes pounded cities of the war-torn Yemen

Yemen's President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi turned down a United Nations peace proposal amid Arab coalition-led air strikes killed at least 60 rebels, inmates and civilians in separate incidents. Hadi even refused to receive the peace proposal submitted by the UN envoy as he met the mediator in Riyadh. On Saturday, four airstrikes hit three residential buildings in the town of Salo killing 17 and wounding seven others. A Yemeni official loyal to Hadi said that coalition air strikes hit the homes "by mistake". In another incident, at least 45 people were killed as Arab warplanes struck a prison holding 84 inmates, inmates, a local official, relatives and medical sources in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port said on Sunday. The warplanes struck the prison three times. A number of rebels inside the building at the time were also killed in the attack, the source added. Further south in second city Aden, the temporary seat of government, guards on Saturday thwarted a suicide attack on the central bank, opening fire on the bomber's vehicle and blowing it up before it reached the building, a security official said. Yemen's civil war Forces loyal to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi`s government have been locked since 2014 in deadly battles with Iran-backed Shiite Huthi rebels who overran the capital Sanaa late that year. The war has left nearly 7,000 people dead, mostly civilians, according to the United Nations. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Yemen: President rejects UN peace proposal amid Arab coalition-led airstrikes

The Saudi-led coalition carried out a deadly &quot;double-tap&quot; air strike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen this month in violation of its obligations under international humanitarian law, a UN panel of experts concluded.

The experts told the UN Security Council in a report obtained by AFP on Thursday that it continues to investigate whether the second air strike directly harmed medical personnel in what could amount to war crimes.

More than 140 people were killed and 525 injured in the air strike on October 8 on a community hall packed with 750 mourners attending the funeral of the rebel Huthi interior minister&#39;s father.

&quot;The panel has not seen any demonstrable evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition took effective and adequate precautionary measures to minimize civilian casualties in respect of the two air strikes so far confirmed,&quot; said the report sent to the council on Monday.

&quot;In contrast, there is evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition violated its obligations relating to the protection of the wounded and persons hors de combat in its second air strike.&quot;

Those killed in the bombing included the head of the Huthi Republican Guard, the mayor of Sanaa, a prominent member of the Huthi military council, two commanders and a former governor.

Yemen&#39;s former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son attended the funeral, but left before the attack, the report said.

The experts found that the timing between the two strikes indicated the &quot;deliberate use of the &#39;double tap&#39; tactic, the consequences of which are that individuals responding to the first explosion are caught by the second.&quot;

The attack resulted in &quot;disproportionately higher numbers of civilian casualties, when compared to military casualties, and that this could have been anticipated prior to the attack,&quot; the report added.

The Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a ceasefire after the attack on the funeral ceremony triggered global outrage and prompted the United States to review its support of the air war in Yemen.

The coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after Huthi rebels overran much of the impoverished country.

Nearly 6,900 people have been killed -- more than half of them civilians -- in the conflict, while another three million are displaced and some 70 percent of the population needs food aid.

The panel said it was waiting for a response from the coalition&#39;s head of investigation concerning its findings.

(AFP)

A UN panel of experts concluded that the timing between the two strikes indicates the deliberate use of the 'double tap tactic'

The Saudi-led coalition carried out a deadly "double-tap" air strike on a funeral ceremony in Yemen this month in violation of its obligations under international humanitarian law, a UN panel of experts concluded. The experts told the UN Security Council in a report obtained by AFP on Thursday that it continues to investigate whether the second air strike directly harmed medical personnel in what could amount to war crimes. More than 140 people were killed and 525 injured in the air strike on October 8 on a community hall packed with 750 mourners attending the funeral of the rebel Huthi interior minister's father. "The panel has not seen any demonstrable evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition took effective and adequate precautionary measures to minimize civilian casualties in respect of the two air strikes so far confirmed," said the report sent to the council on Monday. "In contrast, there is evidence to suggest that the Saudi Arabia-led coalition violated its obligations relating to the protection of the wounded and persons hors de combat in its second air strike." Those killed in the bombing included the head of the Huthi Republican Guard, the mayor of Sanaa, a prominent member of the Huthi military council, two commanders and a former governor. Yemen's former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and his son attended the funeral, but left before the attack, the report said. The experts found that the timing between the two strikes indicated the "deliberate use of the 'double tap' tactic, the consequences of which are that individuals responding to the first explosion are caught by the second." The attack resulted in "disproportionately higher numbers of civilian casualties, when compared to military casualties, and that this could have been anticipated prior to the attack," the report added. The Saudi-led Arab coalition announced a ceasefire after the attack on the funeral ceremony triggered global outrage and prompted the United States to review its support of the air war in Yemen. The coalition intervened in March 2015 to support the government of President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi after Huthi rebels overran much of the impoverished country. Nearly 6,900 people have been killed -- more than half of them civilians -- in the conflict, while another three million are displaced and some 70 percent of the population needs food aid. The panel said it was waiting for a response from the coalition's head of investigation concerning its findings. (AFP)

Saudi-led coalition deliberately planned strike on Yemen funeral: UN

Saudi Arabia&#39;s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir accused Yemen&#39;s Huthi rebels of stepping up their attacks Thursday and of putting in danger a day-old UN-mandated ceasefire.

Jubeir told reporters in Washington that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to defend itself from further the Houthi attacks, but stopped short of declaring the truce a failure.

&quot;As of this morning Washington time there had been more than 150 violations by the Huthi-Saleh side,&quot; Jubeir said, referring to the rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Sitting with US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks at the State Department, Jubeir called the alleged Huthi attacks an &quot;escalation in the violence, rather than a reduction.&quot;

And he accused the Huthis of launching a missile across the border into Saudi territory and killing a man and his daughter.

Kerry condemned the cross-border attack, but was keen to insist that his guest confirm that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen still intends to respect the ceasefire.

&quot;If I can just interrupt,&quot; Kerry interjected as Jubeir finished his remarks.

&quot;It is clear that Saudi Arabia is still committed to the ceasefire and as far as you&#39;re concerned the ceasefire is still in effect. Is that correct?&quot;

Jubeir responded that the kingdom has indicated that it supports Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi&#39;s call for a truce.

&quot;The coalition countries are abiding by this,&quot; he said.

&quot;But I want to emphasize that we have a right to defend ourselves, we have a right to protect our borders, we have a right to protect our citizens and we have to ensure that the other side maintains its commitment to the cessation of hostilities.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister said more than 150 ceasefire violations had taken place

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir accused Yemen's Huthi rebels of stepping up their attacks Thursday and of putting in danger a day-old UN-mandated ceasefire. Jubeir told reporters in Washington that Saudi Arabia reserves the right to defend itself from further the Houthi attacks, but stopped short of declaring the truce a failure. "As of this morning Washington time there had been more than 150 violations by the Huthi-Saleh side," Jubeir said, referring to the rebels and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh. Sitting with US Secretary of State John Kerry after talks at the State Department, Jubeir called the alleged Huthi attacks an "escalation in the violence, rather than a reduction." And he accused the Huthis of launching a missile across the border into Saudi territory and killing a man and his daughter. Kerry condemned the cross-border attack, but was keen to insist that his guest confirm that the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen still intends to respect the ceasefire. "If I can just interrupt," Kerry interjected as Jubeir finished his remarks. "It is clear that Saudi Arabia is still committed to the ceasefire and as far as you're concerned the ceasefire is still in effect. Is that correct?" Jubeir responded that the kingdom has indicated that it supports Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's call for a truce. "The coalition countries are abiding by this," he said. "But I want to emphasize that we have a right to defend ourselves, we have a right to protect our borders, we have a right to protect our citizens and we have to ensure that the other side maintains its commitment to the cessation of hostilities." (AFP)

Saudi Arabia accuses Yemen rebels of breaching ceasefire

The US military launched cruise missile strikes on Thursday to knock out three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, retaliating after failed missile attacks this week on a US Navy destroyer, US officials said.

The strikes, authorized by President Barack Obama, represent Washington&#39;s first direct military action against suspected Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen&#39;s conflict.

Still, the Pentagon appeared to stress the limited nature of the strikes, which were aimed at radar that enabled the launch of at least three missiles against the US Navy destroyer USS Mason since Sunday.

&quot;These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation,&quot; Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US Navy destroyer USS Nitze launched the Tomahawk cruise missiles around 4 am local (0100 GMT).

&quot;These radars were active during previous attacks and attempted attacks on ships in the Red Sea,&quot; including the USS Mason, one of the officials said, adding the targeted radar sites were in remote areas where the risk of civilian casualties was low.

The official identified the areas in Yemen where the radar was located as: near Ras Isa, north of Mukha and near Khoka.

The failed missile attacks on the USS Mason - the latest of which took place on Wednesday - appeared to be part of the reaction to a suspected Saudi-led strike on mourners gathered in Yemen&#39;s Houthi-held capital Sanaa.

Michael Knights, an expert on Yemen&#39;s conflict at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggested the Houthis, fighters from a Shi&#39;ite sect, could be becoming more militarily aligned with groups such as Lebanon&#39;s Shi&#39;ite militant group Hezbollah.

&quot;Targeting US warships is a sign that the Houthis have decided to join the axis of resistance that currently includes Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran,&quot; Knight said.

The Houthis, who are battling the internationally-recognized government of Yemen President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi, denied any involvement in Sunday&#39;s attempt to strike the USS Mason.

But US officials have told Reuters there were growing indications that Houthis fighters, or forces aligned with them, were responsible for Sunday&#39;s attempted strikes, in which two coastal cruise missiles designed to target ships failed to reach the destroyer.

The missile incidents, along with an October&nbsp;1 strike on a vessel from the United Arab Emirates, add to questions about safety of passage for military ships around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world&#39;s busiest shipping routes.

The Houthis, who are allied to Hadi&#39;s predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, have the support of many army units and control most of the north, including the capital, Sanaa.

The Pentagon warned against any future attacks.

&quot;The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate,&quot; Cook said.

Although Thursday&#39;s strikes against the radar aim to undercut the ability to track and target US ships, the Houthis are still believed to possess missiles that could pose a threat.

Reuters has reported that the coastal defense cruise missiles themselves used against the USS Mason had considerable range, fuelling concern about the kind of weaponry the Houthis appear willing to employ and some of which, US officials believe, is supplied by Iran.

One of the missiles fired on Sunday, for example, traveled more than two dozen nautical miles before splashing into the Red Sea off Yemen&#39;s southern coast, one US official said.

(Reuters)

The attacks, authorised by President Obama, represent Washington's first direct military action against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels

The US military launched cruise missile strikes on Thursday to knock out three coastal radar sites in areas of Yemen controlled by Iran-aligned Houthi forces, retaliating after failed missile attacks this week on a US Navy destroyer, US officials said. The strikes, authorized by President Barack Obama, represent Washington's first direct military action against suspected Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen's conflict. Still, the Pentagon appeared to stress the limited nature of the strikes, which were aimed at radar that enabled the launch of at least three missiles against the US Navy destroyer USS Mason since Sunday. "These limited self-defense strikes were conducted to protect our personnel, our ships, and our freedom of navigation," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said. US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said US Navy destroyer USS Nitze launched the Tomahawk cruise missiles around 4 am local (0100 GMT). "These radars were active during previous attacks and attempted attacks on ships in the Red Sea," including the USS Mason, one of the officials said, adding the targeted radar sites were in remote areas where the risk of civilian casualties was low. The official identified the areas in Yemen where the radar was located as: near Ras Isa, north of Mukha and near Khoka. The failed missile attacks on the USS Mason - the latest of which took place on Wednesday - appeared to be part of the reaction to a suspected Saudi-led strike on mourners gathered in Yemen's Houthi-held capital Sanaa. Michael Knights, an expert on Yemen's conflict at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, suggested the Houthis, fighters from a Shi'ite sect, could be becoming more militarily aligned with groups such as Lebanon's Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah. "Targeting US warships is a sign that the Houthis have decided to join the axis of resistance that currently includes Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas and Iran," Knight said. The Houthis, who are battling the internationally-recognized government of Yemen President Abd Rabbu Mansour al-Hadi, denied any involvement in Sunday's attempt to strike the USS Mason. But US officials have told Reuters there were growing indications that Houthis fighters, or forces aligned with them, were responsible for Sunday's attempted strikes, in which two coastal cruise missiles designed to target ships failed to reach the destroyer. The missile incidents, along with an October 1 strike on a vessel from the United Arab Emirates, add to questions about safety of passage for military ships around the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. The Houthis, who are allied to Hadi's predecessor Ali Abdullah Saleh, have the support of many army units and control most of the north, including the capital, Sanaa. The Pentagon warned against any future attacks. "The United States will respond to any further threat to our ships and commercial traffic, as appropriate," Cook said. Although Thursday's strikes against the radar aim to undercut the ability to track and target US ships, the Houthis are still believed to possess missiles that could pose a threat. Reuters has reported that the coastal defense cruise missiles themselves used against the USS Mason had considerable range, fuelling concern about the kind of weaponry the Houthis appear willing to employ and some of which, US officials believe, is supplied by Iran. One of the missiles fired on Sunday, for example, traveled more than two dozen nautical miles before splashing into the Red Sea off Yemen's southern coast, one US official said. (Reuters)

Yemen: US strikes Houthi-controlled sites after attack on its warship

Yemeni rebels on Saturday claimed that they had hit a vessel operated by the Emirati military, a part of a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen&#39;s government.

The UAE military said that its boat was involved in an &quot;accident&quot; in the Bab al-Mandab strait and there were no casualties, according to an AFP report.

&quot;Rockets targeted an Emirati warship as it approached the coast of Mokha&quot; on the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels said in a statement on their website.

An official statement from the Emirati military said that the boat was on a routine trip from Aden, further south, and that an investigation has begun.

The UAE is a member of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year.

The rebels control nearly all of the country&#39;s Red Sea coast as well as some territory around capital Sanaa.

Pro-government forces on Saturday recaptured large parts of the town of Ghail after clashes that killed 11 rebels, military sources said.

Forces recaptured Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait in October last year thus gaining control over the strategic shipping lane connecting the Suez Canal and Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The rebels shelled a loyalist military camp in the Bab al-Mandab area on Saturday, AFP reported.

More than 6,700 people, including civilians, have been killed in the Yemeni conflict since the coalition began its air campaign in March 2015, according to the United Nations.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The UAE military said that a boat under its command was involved in an "incident" in the Bab al-Mandab strait

Yemeni rebels on Saturday claimed that they had hit a vessel operated by the Emirati military, a part of a Saudi-led coalition supporting Yemen's government. The UAE military said that its boat was involved in an "accident" in the Bab al-Mandab strait and there were no casualties, according to an AFP report. "Rockets targeted an Emirati warship as it approached the coast of Mokha" on the Red Sea, the Iran-backed Huthi rebels said in a statement on their website. An official statement from the Emirati military said that the boat was on a routine trip from Aden, further south, and that an investigation has begun. The UAE is a member of the coalition fighting Iran-backed Huthi rebels and their allies since March last year. The rebels control nearly all of the country's Red Sea coast as well as some territory around capital Sanaa. Pro-government forces on Saturday recaptured large parts of the town of Ghail after clashes that killed 11 rebels, military sources said. Forces recaptured Perim island in the Bab al-Mandab strait in October last year thus gaining control over the strategic shipping lane connecting the Suez Canal and Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The rebels shelled a loyalist military camp in the Bab al-Mandab area on Saturday, AFP reported. More than 6,700 people, including civilians, have been killed in the Yemeni conflict since the coalition began its air campaign in March 2015, according to the United Nations. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Yemen rebels claim attack on UAE military vessel

The UN special envoy for Yemen announced the end of peace talks Saturday without any major breakthrough, but also said a new round of negotiations would begin after one month. 
 
&quot;We will be leaving Kuwait today but the Yemeni peace talks are continuing,&quot; Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a press conference. He said he will be holding bilateral consultations with the two delegations in the coming few weeks to work out details of a peace plan. He also said that the two sides have committed to resume &quot;direct talks within a month at a venue to be agreed upon&quot;. 
 
Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Kuwait remains a possible location to host the next round. &quot;We have guarantees and commitments from the two sides that they are ready to return to the negotiating table,&quot; he said. 
 
Although the talks that began April 21 made no headway, Ould Cheikh Ahmed refused to call the process a failure. &quot;In fact, we have not failed. We believe the Kuwait talks made great progress,&quot; he said without elaborating. 
 
The end of the talks came just a few hours after Yemen&#39;s rebel Shiite Huthis and forces loyal to their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, appointed a council to govern Yemen. Ould Cheikh Ahmed condemned the move. &quot;We condemn any unilateral steps. These do not serve the Yemeni people or the peace process,&quot; he said when asked to comment about the rebel council. 
 
The rebels announced its creation on July 28, shortly before rejecting a UN peace plan because it did not meet their key demand for a unity government. That condition amounts to an explicit call for the removal of the internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. 
 
The Iran-backed Huthis overran the capital in late 2014 before moving into other parts of Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March last year. 
 
The United Nations says that more than 6,400 people have been killed in the Arabian Peninsula country since then, mostly civilians. The fighting has also driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 per cent of the population needing humanitarian aid. 
 
(AFP) 
 
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Although the talks that began April 21 made no headway, Ould Cheikh Ahmed, UN special envoy for Yemen refused to call the process a failure

The UN special envoy for Yemen announced the end of peace talks Saturday without any major breakthrough, but also said a new round of negotiations would begin after one month. "We will be leaving Kuwait today but the Yemeni peace talks are continuing," Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed told a press conference. He said he will be holding bilateral consultations with the two delegations in the coming few weeks to work out details of a peace plan. He also said that the two sides have committed to resume "direct talks within a month at a venue to be agreed upon". Ould Cheikh Ahmed said Kuwait remains a possible location to host the next round. "We have guarantees and commitments from the two sides that they are ready to return to the negotiating table," he said. Although the talks that began April 21 made no headway, Ould Cheikh Ahmed refused to call the process a failure. "In fact, we have not failed. We believe the Kuwait talks made great progress," he said without elaborating. The end of the talks came just a few hours after Yemen's rebel Shiite Huthis and forces loyal to their ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, appointed a council to govern Yemen. Ould Cheikh Ahmed condemned the move. "We condemn any unilateral steps. These do not serve the Yemeni people or the peace process," he said when asked to comment about the rebel council. The rebels announced its creation on July 28, shortly before rejecting a UN peace plan because it did not meet their key demand for a unity government. That condition amounts to an explicit call for the removal of the internationally recognised president, Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi. The Iran-backed Huthis overran the capital in late 2014 before moving into other parts of Yemen, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in March last year. The United Nations says that more than 6,400 people have been killed in the Arabian Peninsula country since then, mostly civilians. The fighting has also driven 2.8 million people from their homes and left more than 80 per cent of the population needing humanitarian aid. (AFP)

Yemen peace talks end in failure, but new round set

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