Washington: Houthi aims to expand Iran project in region
Washington said on Wednesday that the goal of Houthi militias was to expand the Iranian project in the region, noting that the actions of the putschists are supported by Tehran.
The U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, affirmed the U.S. administration’s support for the peace process in Yemen, opening crossings leading to and from Taiz, respecting the terms of the truce, and continuing to support efforts to achieve peace in Yemen and stability in the region.
This came during a meeting between Sultan al-Burkani, the speaker of the Yemeni parliament, and the heads of parliamentary blocs in the House of Representatives, US Ambassador to Yemen Steven Fagin, in the Egyptian capital Cairo, according to the Yemeni news agency Saba.
Fagin said he hopes the accelerated efforts and developments will lead to peace in Yemen and the return of legitimate authority. He said the US position will remain unchanged in the face of maintaining security, stability and unity in Yemen and ending the crisis.
While noting that this is receiving attention at the highest levels of the U.S. administration, the U.S. ambassador noted that what Houthi militias have reached is Iranian support aimed at expanding the Iranian project through its illicit tools in the region.
The speaker of the Yemeni parliament said, “The Houthi militias will not be subject to any peace process unless there are deterrent measures that force them to accept peace. The international community must realize that it is dealing with terrorist militias and not a natural component in the political process”.
“We are advocates of peace and harmony and we hope that peace will prevail nationwide, but we do not have a serious partner to move towards peace, because the Houthi militias are undermining all peace options and initiatives, including the non-compliance with the implementation of the Stockholm agreement and the continued breaches of the truce”, he said.
Sultan Al-Burkani pointed out that the Houthi militias did not lift the siege on Taiz, which is exposed daily to attacks and killing of children, which compounded the tragedy of the siege that has lasted for seven and a half years.
“Extending the truce in this current manner before Taiz crossings are opened will not lead to peace, but is a waste of time”, he said, adding that Houthi militias are part and parcel of an Iran-run game aimed at turning the democratic civil Yemeni state into a sectarian state.
It is necessary to correct friends’ perceptions of what is going on inside Yemen, he said, adding that the war being waged by the Houthi militias is an absurd war against the Yemeni people with clear Iranian support.
“What Yemen is witnessing is sad and worrying, not only for Yemen, but also for the Gulf and the friends of the world, as a result of the terrorist acts carried out by the Houthi militias supported by Iran, which threaten the security and safety of the region and maritime navigation”, he said.
He stressed the importance of the United States’ role as an active partner in establishing peace and confronting all forms of terrorism. He also supported the Yemeni government’s efforts to overcome all challenges, foremost among them supporting the economy and rectifying its path, which would improve living conditions and provide life services to citizens.
Through the US envoy and its ambassador to Yemen, Washington has begun a broad movement to support the UN envoy’s moves in an effort to extend the truce, which expires on August 2, but the Yemeni leadership is demanding international and UN guarantees to fully implement the truce before moving on to any other issues.
The Yemeni government accuses the Houthi militias of using the truce, which entered into on April 2nd, to organize their military situation, recruit children and push them to the front lines, and not to implement the terms of the agreement, including opening the way to lift the siege of Taiz.
