Former Yemen Minister Calls for Israeli Role Against Houthis

Khalid Al-Yamani, former Foreign Minister of Yemen, has stated that Israel has a significant role to play in confronting the Houthi threat. Speaking to Roi Kais on Kan 11, Al-Yamani suggested that Israel's involvement should be part of a broad coalition, drawing on the Trump administration's vision for regional stability, the Abraham Accords, and a burden-sharing approach among U.S. allies.

Al-Yamani, who served as Foreign Minister from 2018 to 2019 and was previously supported by Riyadh, now sharply criticizes his former patrons, calling for Saudi Arabia to relinquish its management of the Yemeni file. He blames Saudi Arabia for the current catastrophic situation, asserting that the Houthi expansion is a direct result of weakening the anti-Houthi bloc. According to him, Saudi Arabia and its loyal forces "stabbed in the back the most suitable element to fight the Houthis and sidelined commanders who proved effective on the ground."

Currently an advisor to the president of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a key anti-Houthi force backed by the UAE, Al-Yamani revealed that in December, STC forces worked to sever Houthi supply lines and communication networks with terrorist organizations, including Al-Qaeda and Somalia's Al-Shabaab. Although this operation was known to the Saudi-led coalition, he claims Riyadh's actions against the STC undermined its operational achievements.

Al-Yamani previously adopted an unusual diplomatic stance in 2019 when he sat at the same table as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the Warsaw Conference. That meeting aimed to form a united front against Iran, and the Yemeni minister faced severe internal criticism following it.