Riyadh Rejects US Report on Houthi Conditions for Halting Attacks
A Saudi Foreign Ministry official accuses the Houthis of overthrowing Yemen’s government, worsening civilian suffering and drawing the country into conflicts serving foreign agendas.
Saudi Arabia has rejected a Wall Street Journal report claiming that Yemen’s Houthis presented the kingdom with financial and political demands in exchange for halting attacks. Riyadh said the report was based on inaccurate information. Its response reflects its refusal to treat the movement as a de facto authority and its determination to support Yemen’s internationally recognised government.
Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister for Public Diplomacy Ambassador Raed Krimly said claims about Houthi conditions for reaching an understanding with the kingdom were “baseless”. He argued that they had been fabricated by the report’s authors or the sources on which they relied.
The US newspaper had reported that the Houthis sought $51 billion from Saudi Arabia, alongside recognition as Yemen’s governing authority, in return for ending attacks on Saudi territory. Beyond denying those claims, Riyadh reiterated its political position towards the movement, stressing that Yemen already has an internationally recognised government.
Responding to the report, Krimly accused the Houthis of overthrowing Yemen’s government, worsening the population’s suffering and drawing the country into conflicts serving foreign agendas. He also cited their attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and on civilian and economic facilities, alongside their rejection of political settlement efforts.
The Saudi response comes as the kingdom continues to oppose political recognition that would entrench Houthi control over parts of Yemen, while supporting the internationally recognised government and state institutions. In keeping with this approach, Riyadh insists on reversing the coup and restoring state institutions rather than legitimising the de facto authority established through the armed movement’s takeover.
The message is particularly significant amid what, viewed through the Saudi position, appear to be attempts by some Yemeni actors to use discussion of Houthi demands and conditions to pressure the kingdom. Such efforts would seek to secure Saudi acceptance of a settlement granting the movement financial and political gains without addressing the crisis’s underlying causes or restoring the legitimate government’s standing. This also aligns with Riyadh’s opposition to the Iranian-backed movement expanding its influence at the expense of Yemeni state institutions.
The controversy coincides with continuing security tensions and attacks on Saudi territory, including civilian facilities, amid escalation linked to military developments in Yemen. The kingdom therefore faces the challenge of protecting its security while pursuing political efforts, without allowing de-escalation to become a route to recognising the Houthis or consolidating their control over the country.
The Saudi denial thus goes beyond disputing the newspaper’s account. It also defines the limits of any settlement Riyadh would accept: an end to threats and attacks, without bypassing Yemen’s recognised government or granting the movement legitimacy outside a mutually agreed political process.
