US President Joe Biden will announce an end to US support for military offensive operations in Yemen, and interest in diplomatic efforts to end the civil war there. The announcement was set to take place on Thursday during a foreign policy speech at the US State Department, according to reports, and would fulfill a Biden campaign promise.
The years-long civil war pits the government backed by a Saudi-led coalition, against the Iranian-supported Houthi movement.
The Biden Administration last week put on hold the ban on doing business with or providing support to the Houthi movement in Yemen, as the government reviews the designation made on the last full day of the Trump Administration of the Houthis as a “foreign terrorist organization.” The Houthis control the Yemeni capital of Sanaa and the north of the country.
Biden is expected to name a new special envoy to Yemen. The person expected to be appointed to the position is veteran US diplomat Timothy Lenderking.