Yemen's Prime Minister Changed Amid Ongoing International Coalition Attacks on Houthis

While the US-led coalition continues to target the Houthis in Yemen, the Presidential Council of Yemen unexpectedly dismissed the country's Prime Minister and replaced him with the Foreign Minister. The internationally recognized Presidential Council of Yemen removed the Prime Minister in an unexpected move at a time when a coalition led by the United States is targeting the Houthi rebels, who are supported by the Iranian government. According to the Times of Israel, by decree from the council, 'Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak', the Foreign Minister, has been appointed as the new Prime Minister of Yemen. 'Bin Mubarak', who is close to Saudi Arabia, replaces 'Moein Abdulmalik Saeed', who had been Prime Minister since 2018. As of the time of this report, the Presidential Council of Yemen has not provided a reason for this change. Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2014 when the Houthis seized Sana'a, the capital, and most of the northern regions. A coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened months later and has been fighting the rebels since 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government to power. This civil war has devastated Yemen, currently the poorest Arab country, and has created one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. Reports indicate that over 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, have been killed in the conflict. In recent months, the Houthis have negotiated with Saudi Arabia, which is seeking to exit the war. Both sides announced that they had achieved positive results for reviving the expired ceasefire. The Houthi-Saudi talks are part of broader efforts to find a political solution to the conflict. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October, following the terrorist attack by Palestinian groups on Israel, peace efforts have faced challenges. The Iran-backed Houthis have responded to the Israel-Hamas war by attacking ships passing through the Red Sea shipping route, making this international waterway unsafe in recent months. The Houthis' actions in destabilizing the Red Sea have been praised by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, who referred to it as 'Jihad in the way of Allah' and expressed support for it. The Houthi attacks have prompted the US and UK to launch a wave of strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. Joint US and British attacks on the Houthis in Yemen; CENTCOM: We destroyed 36 targets. The continuation of the US retaliatory military campaign; Houthi positions in Yemen were bombed. The US stated that the attacks in Iraq and Syria were necessary and conducted under 'self-defense law'. Military operations by the US and allies against the Houthis; anti-ship cruise missiles and '36 other targets' in Yemen were attacked. Attacks by the US and UK on Houthi positions; the Islamic Republic warned about 'suspicious vessels'.