Washington, London call on Houthis to stop Marib offensive

The United States and Britain have called on the Houthi militia, backed by Iran, to halt the offensive in Marib and respect international peace efforts.
The U.S. and British envoys to Yemen urged Houthi militias to end their attacks in the north of the country.
“This comes after the death toll from the Houthi missile attack on Marib rose to 21, including children.”
British Ambassador to Yemen Michael Aron said the Houthis serious participation in UN efforts to reach a ceasefire would stop the tragic loss of Yemenis.
“The US special envoy, Tim Linderking, blamed the Houthis for the continuation of the war, saying they reject a ceasefire, refuse to take any steps to resolve the crisis and end the conflict, and continue to attack Marib.”
The remarks came a day after he returned home after a tour of the region, during which he discussed the humanitarian and economic crisis in Yemen with Yemeni officials and international partners, according to a US State Department statement.
“Last month, after completing a similar tour, Leinderking said the Houthis were exacerbating the humanitarian crisis by attacking the city of Marib.”
Earlier, the US envoy pointed to the negative role played by Iran in Yemeni territories, stressing that Tehran has not made any positive development regarding Yemen.
In the same vein, the United Nations envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, did not take different positions. After a visit to Sana’a during which he met with the Houthi militia leader, Griffiths left the city’s airport to express his frustration at the failure of his efforts.
“Griffiths said negotiations have been in a vicious circle for more than a year, adding that the war is always intervening to derail any progress on the peaceful track, a clear reference to the ongoing Houthi assault on the city of Marib, which has greatly complicated the landscape, exacerbated the conflict and exacerbated the humanitarian crisis, as the UN says.”