Houthis Threaten Attacks on Saudi Arabia, Allies If De-escalation Collapses

Houthi officials announced that they would attack the countries involved in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen if Saudi Arabia backtracks on its planned de-escalation.

According to the Houthi-run Saba news agency, Houthi Defense Minister Mohamed al-Atifi made the warning during a recent visit to Al Hudaydah, Yemen’s main port on the Red Sea and the site of a key battle in the Yemeni Civil War.

Yemen’s civil war has been ongoing since 2014. After the Houthis, an Islamist movement comprising mostly Shia Muslims, ousted President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi in 2014, Hadi called for military support, and Saudi Arabia responded by leading a military intervention at together with nine other countries.

Saudi Arabia entered into peace talks with the Houthis earlier this month and the sides have exchanged prisoners of war. The talks followed Saudi Arabia and Iran’s rapprochement in March. The conflict in Yemen is widely understood as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which is backing the Houthis.

Al-Atifi said that the talks were heading in a good direction but warned that Saudi Arabia and its allies will face consequences if they do not respect the agreement.

“All of this depends on the sincerity of the intentions of the leaders of the [Saudi] coalition with what has been agreed upon with the [Houthi] leadership and its affiliated political council,” al-Atifi said.