US Ambassador to Yemen, Stephen Fagin, met with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council President Rashad Al-Alimi on Wednesday, September 18, 2024, to discuss recent diplomatic efforts and options to push the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, towards serious engagement in regional and international peace efforts aimed at ending the suffering of the Yemeni people.

The meeting, reported by the official Yemeni news agency Saba, focused on the latest developments in Yemen, including Houthi escalation and gross human rights violations.

Al-Alimi emphasized the importance of coordinating efforts with Saudi Arabia's endeavors to launch a comprehensive political process under the auspices of the United Nations.

The meeting also touched upon coordinated efforts with the international community to secure the release of UN staff and civil society leaders held captive by the Houthis, as well as development interventions, including the protection of Yemen's cultural heritage.

Al-Alimi reiterated the council's and government's commitment to a just peace based on nationally, regionally, and internationally agreed-upon frameworks. He commended efforts to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people and strengthen international mechanisms to intercept Iranian arms shipments that threaten international peace and security.

In December 2023, the United Nations announced that Yemeni parties had reached understandings on a set of measures, including a nationwide ceasefire, measures to improve living conditions in Yemen, and engagement in preparations for the resumption of a comprehensive political process under UN auspices.

However, the roadmap and peace efforts in Yemen have been stalled since November 2023 due to attacks by the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization, against commercial ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.