Former Yemen FM Calls for Israeli Role in Combating Houthis

Former Yemeni Foreign Minister Khaled Al-Yamani has proposed that Israel play a significant role in confronting the Houthi threat, advocating for a broad coalition based on the Trump administration's concept of regional peace and stability. This coalition, he suggested, should be founded on the Abraham Accords and the principle of shared burden among US allies in the Middle East. Al-Yamani, who previously served as foreign minister in the Saudi-backed Yemeni government and met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a 2019 Warsaw conference aimed at forming a united front against Iran, is now an advisor to the chairman of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a group supported by the UAE that opposes the Houthis.

In an interview with Kan Reshet Bet, Al-Yamani criticized Saudi Arabia's handling of the Yemeni conflict, calling for its removal from leadership of the Yemeni file due to policy failures that have weakened anti-Houthi forces. He asserted that Saudi actions, including strikes against STC forces and financial support for the Houthis, have directly contributed to the current deterioration of the situation and the Houthis' advances, particularly near the Bab el-Mandeb strait. "They stabbed in the back those who were best suited to fight the Houthis, and pushed aside forces and commanders who had already proven effective on the battlefield," he stated.

Al-Yamani detailed an STC operation in December of the previous year to disrupt Houthi supply lines and their connections to terrorist organizations, which he claimed was known to the Saudi-led coalition. However, he argued that subsequent Saudi actions against the STC undermined these efforts. He warned that continued reliance on Saudi Arabia in Yemen jeopardizes maritime routes and both national and global security.

He also criticized Western nations for ignoring repeated warnings from the STC about the dangers of Houthi advances along the Red Sea. Al-Yamani emphasized that the STC is not celebrating Houthi gains but believes that direct cooperation with and support for the STC is the only path to restoring a balance of power and stability. He stated that the STC will fight Houthi threats in the south but requires genuine self-determination for the people of southern Yemen in return for defending northern territories.