Aidarous al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and a member of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, stated that eliminating the threat posed by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization, requires "genuine cooperation" between regional and international actors.

During a virtual meeting with the U.S. Ambassador to Yemen, Steven Fagin, al-Zubaidi emphasized the Presidential Leadership Council's "readiness to engage in any regional and international efforts aimed at ending the terrorism perpetrated by the Houthi militias in Yemen and the region, peacefully or through war," according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

The meeting reviewed the latest developments in Yemen's economic and humanitarian situation, as well as the economic and administrative reforms being undertaken by the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to activate state institutions and enhance their performance, according to Saba.

The discussion also addressed decisions taken by the Presidential Leadership Council through a series of measures implemented by the Central Bank of Yemen and several service ministries. These measures aimed to stop the Houthis' interference in the banking sector, the assets of government service institutions, and notably Yemenia Airways, the official Yemeni news agency reported.

Al-Zubaidi reiterated the Presidential Leadership Council's "readiness to engage in any political process to achieve peace in the country through the Council's negotiating team, which represents various political forces within the framework of the Presidential Leadership Council," according to Saba.

For his part, the U.S. Ambassador affirmed the U.S. government's support for all measures taken by the Presidential Leadership Council to strengthen state authority, expressing appreciation for its positive engagement with efforts made by the international community and regional countries to end the war and achieve peace, according to the agency.

Fagin further reiterated the U.S. government's commitment to supporting the Presidential Leadership Council and the government, emphasizing that "the United States is deeply concerned by the growing Houthi escalation in international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden, and is working alongside local, regional, and international partners to put an end to these threats."

Al-Zubaidi's meeting with the U.S. Ambassador coincides with regional and international efforts to push for the signing of a roadmap to end the nine-year-long war, amid Yemeni concerns that this roadmap does not meet the aspirations of Yemenis for lasting and comprehensive peace.

On December 23, 2023, the United Nations announced that Yemeni parties had reached understandings to commit to a set of measures, including the implementation of a ceasefire encompassing all of Yemen, measures to improve living conditions in Yemen, and engagement in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process under the auspices of the United Nations.

The roadmap and peace efforts in Yemen have stalled due to attacks by the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, against commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden since last November.