Member of the Presidential Leadership Council and leader of the National Resistance Forces stationed on the western coast, Tariq Saleh, met with US Ambassador to Yemen Stephen Fagin on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, to discuss support for the Yemeni Coast Guard to enhance maritime security.

The US Embassy, in a brief statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, monitored by "Barran Press," confirmed that Ambassador Fagin, during his meeting with Tariq Saleh, "discussed the continued US support for the Yemeni government, including strengthening cooperation with the Yemeni Coast Guard to enhance maritime security."

No comment has been issued by Tariq Saleh or official media outlets regarding the meeting and its contents at the time of this report.

Since last November, the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, has continued its attacks using missiles and drones against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

The group's attacks have led to increased maritime insurance costs and prompted many international shipping companies to opt for the significantly longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.

To deter the Houthis and protect maritime navigation, the United States formed a multinational coalition in December 2023. Meanwhile, US forces have been conducting periodic strikes against Houthi military targets.

Since January 12, the number of US and British airstrikes against the Houthis on the ground has reached approximately 560, resulting in the deaths of 58 individuals and the injury of 86 others, according to the group's own admission.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government maintains that Western strikes are ineffective in neutralizing the Houthi threat to navigation and that the most effective solution is to support its armed forces to reclaim Hodeidah, its ports, and other areas under the group's control.