Yemen's Rebels Appoint Former Aden Governor to Form National Salvation Government

The Supreme Political Council of Yemen, composed of Houthi rebels and supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, appointed Abdulaziz bin Habtour, a political figure and former governor of Aden, to form a National Salvation Government on Sunday. According to a Reuters report citing the Yemeni news agency Saba, Mr. bin Habtour, who hails from Shabwa in southern Yemen, previously held the Ministry of Education in the country. The Houthi-controlled Yemeni news agency Saba published a two-article decree from Saleh Ali al-Sammad, the head of the Supreme Political Council, which not only mentions Mr. bin Habtour's appointment but also emphasizes the implementation of this decree starting from Sunday, October 2. The Houthis, who have controlled Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, for the past two years, formed the Supreme Political Council in July this year in alliance with former President Ali Abdullah Saleh as the main executive body to govern the country, replacing the Houthi Revolutionary Council for managing the areas under their control. Yemen, considered the poorest country in the Arab world, has been embroiled in a civil war since the Houthis seized Sanaa, and since April 2015, an Arab coalition led by Saudi Arabia has intervened in support of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, the country's president. Peace negotiations in Kuwait aimed at ending the 18-month war under UN supervision reached a deadlock last month. Mr. Hadi's government, which took power after the expansion of Arab Spring protests in Yemen and the resignation of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, is recognized by the international community as the legitimate government of Yemen and is currently based in Aden. The Houthis are supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and although Iran describes this support as merely moral, both Saudi Arabia and its allies and the Yemeni government accuse Iran of providing military support to the Houthi rebels despite UN resolutions. In this context, last week, Yemen's foreign minister announced that the country is seeking to file a complaint against Iran at the UN Security Council for allegedly sending weapons to Houthi militants. He emphasized that 'this action violates Security Council Resolution 2216, which not only prohibits arming the coup plotters but also forbids citizens of other countries from transferring weapons to the Houthis.'