On November 5, 2024, Osman Mejalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, stated that "everyone pays the price for preventing the government from liberating the port of Hodeidah." He emphasized that the Houthis are using the port for non-humanitarian purposes, including arms smuggling.

Mejalli made these remarks during a meeting at the UK Foreign Office with Minister of State for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer. The two discussed bilateral relations and the UK's role in promoting security and stability in Yemen, according to the Yemeni news agency Saba.

During the meeting, Mejalli highlighted that the Houthi movement, internationally classified as a terrorist group, has turned the Hodeidah port into an operations center for attacking ships and disrupting international navigation in the Red Sea.

He asserted that peace is a necessity for the Yemeni people, who are suffering from the consequences of the Houthi coup and its war against the state. "For the sake of peace, we have participated in all consultations, from Geneva 1 and 2 to the Kuwait talks, Stockholm, and Dhahran in Saudi Arabia—any calls that achieve a fair and comprehensive peace in Yemen based on international resolutions," he stated.

Mejalli also addressed Iran's destructive role, noting that its support for the Houthis with weapons, ballistic missiles, and drones poses a threat to commercial shipping in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, impeding food supply chains and leading to a global crisis.

He further discussed the Houthi practices against humanitarian organization workers and embassy staff, highlighting that the group continues to kidnap individuals and subject them to severe psychological and physical torture. He pointed out the distress of families of hundreds of kidnapped journalists and activists, who live in fear and uncertainty about their loved ones' fates, emphasizing that the Houthis have obstructed all UN-brokered prisoner exchange deals led by UN envoy Hans Grundberg.

In response, the British minister reaffirmed his country’s commitment to working with international partners and neighboring states to combat terrorism and secure maritime navigation in the Red Sea. He reiterated the UK's dedication to achieving lasting peace in Yemen and supporting the efforts of the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to improve the economic situation.