Barran Press
A high-level US delegation, led by President Biden's Senior Advisor for Middle Eastern Affairs, Brett McGurk, arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, to discuss the situation in Yemen and bolster stability in the Red Sea, according to the US news website Axios.
The delegation includes Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East Dan Shapiro.
A source familiar with the talks told Axios that the US and Saudi Arabia are continuing their bilateral cooperation to implement the political process and enhance stability in Yemen and the Red Sea.
A White House official stated that McGurk will subsequently travel to Cairo to hold consultations with Egyptian authorities on related issues and advance discussions on a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas.
On July 20, Israeli airstrikes targeted fuel tanks at the power plant and oil facilities in the port of Hudaydah, Yemen, in response to a drone attack claimed by the Houthi group that killed one person and injured 11 others in Tel Aviv.
Since the Israeli attack on the port of Hudaydah last week, which was met with widespread condemnation from the region, the Red Sea has experienced a notable lull, while US forces continue limited airstrikes against Houthi positions and capabilities.
On July 23, the UN envoy to Yemen's office announced that the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, had agreed on several de-escalation measures concerning the banking sector and Yemenia Airlines.
The agreement, according to the envoy's statement, includes "revoking recent decisions and measures against banks by both sides and refraining from any similar decisions or measures in the future. In addition, resuming Yemenia Airlines flights between Sana'a and Jordan, increasing the number of flights to three daily, and operating flights to Cairo and India daily or as needed."
The agreement also included holding meetings to address the administrative, technical, and financial challenges facing the company, and initiating meetings to discuss all economic and humanitarian issues based on the roadmap.
"Grundberg" highlighted the crucial role played by Saudi Arabia in reaching this agreement, affirming the UN's readiness to work with both parties to implement the agreed-upon measures. He also offered to facilitate communication with authorities in Jordan, Egypt, and India.
As is customary with every agreement, the Yemeni government promptly fulfilled its commitments by halting measures taken against banks, while Yemenia Airlines resumed flights from Sana'a airport to Jordan, Cairo, and India for the first time since 2014.
Given the Houthis' track record of reneging on agreements and circumventing them, the government side appears more pessimistic about the Houthis' seriousness in achieving a genuine breakthrough in the economic file. Member of the Presidential Leadership Council "Othman Majli" stated during a meeting chaired by Council President "Rashad Al-Alimi" with the leadership of the local authority in Hadhramaut that "the Council is fully aware of the Houthis' intentions and their terrorist behavior."
Majli emphasized that the Presidential Leadership Council's commitment to de-escalation "comes within the framework of providing the regional and international community with an opportunity to revive the comprehensive and just peace process in accordance with its declared references."
On December 23, 2023, the United Nations announced that the Yemeni parties had reached understandings to commit to a set of measures, including implementing a ceasefire encompassing all of Yemen, measures to improve living conditions in Yemen, and engaging in preparations to resume a comprehensive political process under UN auspices.
The roadmap and peace efforts in Yemen 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 November 2023.