DUBAI: Yemen’s civil war will “most likely” require a military solution because of Tehran’s influence, the country’s President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi said on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“The military solution is the most likely because it is not their (the Houthis’) decision to make,” he said in a recent interview with Al-Arabiya television, referring to the militias and their backers, Iran.
“Even if you come to an agreement with them, they call up Iran ... back out, and then you don’t have a deal,” he said.
The interview came just days after the third anniversary of the Houthi takeover of Sanaa, which the rebels control in coordination with forces loyal to Yemen’s ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.
The rebels were in March 2015 on the verge of seizing total control of Yemen when Saudi Arabia formed an Arab military coalition and intervened in support of Hadi’s forces.
Hadi, who has taken refuge in Riyadh, said that US policy in the region had improved under President Donald Trump.
“The American position now is better than it was under (hir predecessor Barack) Obama, because Obama’s priority was getting the nuclear deal,” which had allowed Iran to “expand” its influence, he said.
Hadi said Obama’s secretary of state John Kerry had proposed he govern with a vice president chosen by the Houthis, a proposal he had refused.
In contrast, Hadi said his government was on the same page as the Trump administration with a common goal “to increase pressure on the Houthis and on Iran.”
Although he largely discounted the negotiations track, Hadi said his internationally-recognized government would “continue to extend its hand to peace.”
Yemen crisis will ‘most likely’ require military solution because of Iran influence, says Hadi
Yemen crisis will ‘most likely’ require military solution because of Iran influence, says Hadi
Ceasefire with Kurdish-led force extended for another 15 days, Syrian army says
- The defense ministry said the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants to Iraq
- The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension
RAQQA, Syria: Hours after the expiration of a four-day truce between the Syrian government and Kurdish-led fighters Saturday, Syria’s defense ministry announced the ceasefire had been extended by another 15 days.
The defense ministry said in a statement that the extension was in support of an operation by US forces to transfer accused Daesh militants who had been held in prisons in northeastern Syria to detention centers in Iraq.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces confirmed the ceasefire extension.
“Our forces affirm their commitment to the agreement and their dedication to respecting it, which contributes to de-escalation, the protection of civilians, and the creation of the necessary conditions for stability,” the group said in a statement.
Over the past three weeks, there have been intense clashes between government forces and the SDF, in which the SDF lost large parts of the area they once controlled.
Earlier in the day, the Kurdish-led force called on the international community to prevent any escalation.
The end of the truce came as government forces have been sending reinforcements to Syria’s northeast.
Syria’s interim government signed an agreement last March with the SDF for it to hand over territory and to eventually merge its fighters with government forces. In early January, a new round of talks failed to make progress over the merger, leading to renewed fighting between the two sides.
A new version of the accord was signed last weekend, and a four-day ceasefire was declared Tuesday. Part of the new deal is that SDF members will have to merge into the army and police forces as individuals.
The SDF said in a statement Saturday that military buildups and logistical movements by government forces have been observed, “clearly indicating an intent to escalate and push the region toward a new confrontation.” The SDF said it will continue to abide by the truce.
On Saturday, state TV said authorities on Saturday released 126 boys under the age of 18 who were held at the Al-Aqtan prison near the northern city of Raqqa that was taken by government forces Friday. The teenagers were taken to the city of Raqqa where they were handed over to their families, the TV station said.
The prison is also home to some of the 9,000 members of the Daesh group who are held in northeastern Syria. Most of them remain held in jails run by the SDF. Government forces have so far taken control of two prisons while the rest are still run by the SDF.
Earlier this week, the US military said that some 7,000 Daesh detainees will be transferred to detention centers in neighboring Iraq.
On Wednesday, the US military said that 150 prisoners have been taken to Iraq.
