"US Contacted Yemen's Houthi Rebels Late Last Month... Urges Ceasefire Talks with Saudi Arabia"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported that a special envoy from the U.S. Biden administration met with the negotiation representative of the Yemeni Houthi rebels at the end of last month and urged them to engage in ceasefire talks with Saudi Arabia. This is the first time since the Biden administration took office that contact between the two sides has been revealed, and both the U.S. and the Houthi rebels have refrained from officially commenting on the meeting.

According to major foreign media, on the 3rd (local time), Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. special envoy for Yemen, met with Muhammad Abdulsalam, the negotiation representative of the Houthi rebels, in Muscat, the capital of Oman, on the 26th of last month. It is reported that Lenderking pressured the Houthi rebels to halt their attack on Marib and urged them to actively participate in ceasefire negotiations with Saudi Arabia via video conference. A source described the Muscat meeting as part of the new "carrot and stick" approach pursued by U.S. President Joe Biden, according to major foreign media.

This is the first time since the Biden administration took office in January this year that the meeting between the U.S. side and the Houthi rebels has been revealed. Both the U.S. government and the Yemeni rebel side have not publicly commented on the meeting. However, as the Houthi offensive on Marib has caused large-scale civilian casualties and criticism of the Biden administration's Middle East policy has increased, it is interpreted that the administration is directly contacting the Houthi rebels to bring about a ceasefire.

Previously, the Biden administration had taken a conciliatory stance toward the Houthi rebels, which sparked controversy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on the 12th of last month that the designation of the Houthi rebels as a terrorist organization would be withdrawn, citing the horrific humanitarian situation in Yemen as the reason for the decision. Earlier, on the 4th of last month, U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. would halt support for Saudi-led military operations in Yemen, including arms sales.

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