Saudi-led Coalition to Reopen Yemen's Airports and Ports

The Saudi-led coalition announced that it will reopen Yemen's airports and ports to commercial and humanitarian shipments. According to a Reuters report citing a statement from the Saudi delegation to the United Nations, "All ports under the control of the Yemeni government will be reopened within the next 24 hours as a first step." The Yemeni government, led by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and supported by Saudi Arabia, is internationally recognized as the legitimate government of Yemen and is currently based in the port city of Aden in southwestern Yemen. The statement indicated that the ports of Aden, Mokha, and Mukalla will be reopened. The Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia closed Yemen's borders last Monday in response to a Houthi missile attack on Riyadh, which was intercepted by Saudi air defenses. The closure of Yemen's borders came as the United Nations warned that a complete blockade of Yemen's communication routes could jeopardize the lives of millions in Yemen, a country that has seen at least 10,000 deaths during two and a half years of civil war and where residents are grappling with famine and disease. Meanwhile, Sana'a witnessed protests on Monday with thousands of Yemenis demonstrating against the coalition's blockade. Saudi Arabia and its allies claim that tightening the blockade on Yemen is a direct response to the missile attack on Riyadh earlier this month, which the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for. Tehran has never concealed its verbal support for the Yemeni rebels, specifically the group known as 'Ansar Allah,' which includes the Houthis, but denies reports of transferring or sending weapons to them. In this context, Saleh al-Sammad, head of the Houthi political council, has called for the lifting of the blockade on Yemen by coalition forces. This Houthi political figure, speaking among the protesters on Monday, urged Saudi Arabia and its allies to "stop the war, lift the blockade, and engage in direct negotiations." The Arab coalition forces hope that before lifting the blockade on the ports controlled by the Houthis, a group of UN experts will assess the conditions to "prevent the smuggling of weapons, munitions, missile parts, and cash, which are often supplied by Iran." The Saudi-led coalition accuses the rebels of using humanitarian shipments to smuggle weapons. Both sides involved in Yemen, the Houthis and the coalition forces, are accused of neglecting the security of civilians in the country. Concurrently, as the parties involved in Yemen express their desire to lift the blockade, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, on Monday, November 13, wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, calling for international community intervention to establish a ceasefire in Yemen. In this letter, Zarif indicated the Islamic Republic of Iran's readiness to assist in operationalizing the peace plan for Yemen. In this context, the European Union and the United Nations called for facilitating aid to Yemen. International flights to two areas under the control of the Yemeni government will resume. The United Nations warns that the continuation of the blockade will confront Yemen with the world's largest famine.