Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), announced on Saturday that Al-Baydha governorate is nearing liberation from Iran-backed Houthi control. He stated that Al-Baydha would be the first governorate to reject the Houthi project once the battle for its liberation begins.

Saleh made these remarks during a meeting with tribal leaders and dignitaries from Al-Baydha, held on the sidelines of a tribal gathering in Mokha, Taiz, according to the Yemeni news agency Saba.

He reaffirmed his commitment to supporting the people of Al-Baydha in organizing their ranks against the Houthis, noting that its residents are already fighting on multiple fronts with a strong republican spirit. He highlighted Al-Baydha’s long history of resistance against the Imamate, spanning over a century, and argued that this historical defiance made it a prime target for Houthi retaliation following their takeover of Sanaa.

Saleh clarified that the ongoing war is neither sectarian nor driven by vengeance but is instead a fight to restore the state, freedom, and equal coexistence under the rule of law. He stressed the need to reassure Yemenis in Houthi-controlled areas that the goal is not retribution but the establishment of a just and lawful state.