Saudi Arabia: We Will Take Action if Yemen Peace Efforts Fail

The Saudi Foreign Minister stated that if efforts to peacefully resolve the chaotic situation in Yemen fail, Arab countries will take necessary actions to protect the region from the 'aggression' of Iranian-backed Shiite Houthis. Saud al-Faisal made this remark on Monday, April 3, during a joint press conference with his British counterpart Philip Hammond in Riyadh, in response to a question about whether Saudi Arabia might provide military assistance to Yemen's legitimate President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. He stated, 'Certainly, the countries of the region and the Arab world will take necessary actions to protect the region from aggression.' Mansur Hadi, who was under house arrest after the Houthis seized the capital in September, managed to escape from Sanaa to Aden last month, but recent reports indicate that the Houthis are advancing towards Aden. Hadi, recognized by the UN as Yemen's legitimate president, has called on the Security Council to intervene in the country's situation. According to Reuters, Saud al-Faisal once again invited all Yemeni factions, including the Houthis, to join peace negotiations in Riyadh. Hammond also stated, 'The international community cannot sit idly by while the Houthis and their affiliates are destabilizing Yemen and seeking to dismantle the country and undermine the legitimacy of Yemen's presidency. None of us want to see military action as an option.' The Saudi Foreign Minister also responded to Iran's support for the Houthis, stating that he is 'against Iranian intervention' and strongly criticized what he called 'Iran's efforts to create sectarian hostilities in the Arab world.' Riyad Yaseen, introduced as the interim Foreign Minister of Yemen by Hadi, called on Arab countries for military intervention in Yemen, the establishment of a no-fly zone, and to stop the Houthis' advances in other regions of the country. In this context, the Associated Press reported that Mr. Yaseen reiterated his call for Arab military intervention in Yemen during an interview with the Saudi state television channel Al-Hadath, stating that 'time is not on our side.' Recently, the Houthis and their affiliates, who support former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, have begun advancing towards southern regions and have captured parts of the city of Taiz. UN Security Council members on Sunday expressed support for Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and warned of the potential for civil war in Yemen, threatening the Houthis with sanctions. In this context, 52 injured Yemenis were transferred to the IRGC hospital in Tehran. The capture of Yemen's third-largest city by Shiite rebels has resulted in 142 deaths in attacks by the 'Islamic State' on mosques in Sanaa. Hadi emphasized the fight against 'Iran's influence' in Yemen.