The United Nations (UN)-backed Yemeni government in Aden said on Tuesday (Jan 21) that the West should seize the opportunity to target the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels' leadership in Yemen while Tehran is weakened

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Speaking to The Guardian, Yemen's Vice President Aidarus al-Zoubaidi said that Iran's reserves in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza left the country massively weakened. 

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“They have one remaining domain and that is Yemen. Now is the time to counter the Houthis and push them back into their position," al-Zoubaidi added. 

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The vice president of the government in Aden added that Yemen's ground forces should work in cooperation with Western airstrikes as part of a multi-pronged strategy.

'Iran will not give up on Houthis but...'

Al-Zoubaidi predicted that Iran would not give up on the Houthis, but on the contrary, double down on its support for the rebels as the last remaining component of its chain of proxy forces.

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The vice president said that the Aden government was willing to provide intelligence advice to all those mounting attacks on Houthi positions. 

Attacks on Houthis by US and UK have not been effective

Al-Zoubaidi also told The Guardian that the attacks on Houthis by the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) had not been effective as they were not targeting the Houthi leadership or their main locations or headquarters. 

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"It’s not joined-up, or comprehensive. It’s just airstrikes. Joined-up means also a military operation on the ground,he added. 

(With inputs from agencies)