Yemen’s Breakthrough Truce Threatened By Houthi Military Attacks

1 Dec 2023 Issue: 66 / 48 By: James Marriott

Recent military escalation by Yemen’s Houthi forces threatens maritime security and stability in the Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb strait. The Iran-linked group’s acts have endangered truce talks that were reportedly near a breakthrough which would have lifted the crippling blockade on Yemen’s oil and gas exports at a time of increased interest from international actors.

Yemen’s Houthi movement has returned to global attention with the armed group embroiling itself in regional tensions around the Israel-Hamas war. The group has carried out a series of strikes against Israeli and US targets in the region, most of which have been intercepted.

This militancy comes at a time when Saudi Arabia has been pushing truce talks. In April, a Saudi delegation’s visit to the Houthi capital of Sanaa started a new round of peace talks, opening the possibility of boosting Yemen’s oil sector (MEES, 14 April). Five months later the Houthis made a landmark trip to Riyadh for talks which ended with a ‘peace roadmap’ being announced. (CONTINUED - 1776 WORDS)