Yemen: Al-Alimi Says Military Ready for Decisive Battle

Asharq Al-Awsat

24-04-2025

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief Rashad al-Alimi said there are promising signs of a shift in the balance of power in the country's long-running conflict, citing growing unity among anti-Houthi factions.
Al-Alimi praised what he described as 'broad national alignment,' highlighting the readiness of the armed forces, security units, and all military formations to wage what he called 'a battle for salvation' against the Iran-aligned Houthi group.
He said the emerging consensus among Yemen's diverse political and military components to confront a common enemy was a key development on the ground.
Al-Alimi met late Tuesday with the head of the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, his deputies, and senior figures from political parties and factions represented in the body, as efforts to unify anti-Houthi forces continue.
The meeting came amid ongoing US airstrikes targeting Houthi positions across several provinces, including the capital Sanaa, as well as Saada, Hajjah, and Hodeidah.
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi has acknowledged that the group has been hit by over 1,000 air and naval strikes since the campaign began.
US President Donald Trump launched the military campaign against the Houthis on March 15, vowing to use 'deadly force' to eliminate the group, which Washington accuses of threatening maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and launching attacks against Israel.
The meeting attended by al-Alimi focused on the necessary actions to transform the trajectory of Yemen's pivotal battle, aiming to end the humanitarian suffering exacerbated by Houthi militia attacks on oil facilities and commercial shipping vessels.
Al-Alimi highlighted a significant positive shift in the international community's stance, which he attributed to a united effort in countering misleading narratives about Yemen's crisis. He emphasized the government's role as a close partner to the international community, while exposing the Houthis not as a peace project, but as a constant threat to global security, according to the official Saba News Agency.
'We have presented the Yemeni people's vision and aspirations in the best possible light, promoting a discourse focused on security, peace, development, equality, and active partnership with the international community,' al-Alimi said.
'Today, we see promising elements that could shift the balance of power on the ground, with the key being the unity of all national components in their shared goal and common enemy,' he added.
The PLC chief expressed his gratitude for the critical support provided by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, highlighting their economic, developmental, and humanitarian contributions as vital to the Yemeni state's continued fulfillment of its obligations.
Al-Alimi also commended the efforts of Yemen's security forces in countering Houthi militia attempts to destabilize the internal front, accusing the group of colluding with terrorist organizations in its reckless plans.