Al-Zindani: The Houthi escalation is broad and dangerous, linked to an Iranian agenda to threaten regional security and international navigation

Aden – Agencies: Yemeni Prime Minister Maqshad Mohsen al-Zandani said that the recent escalation by the Houthi group “transcends the Yemeni arena in its dimensions,” considering that it is linked to an Iranian agenda that exploits Yemen’s strategic location to threaten regional security and international navigation. During a cabinet meeting in the temporary capital of Aden, al-Zandani stressed that the Houthi escalation is not a transient development or merely a new round of confrontations, but rather a broad and dangerous escalation that goes beyond Yemen’s borders, tied to an Iranian agenda using Yemen and its strategic position to threaten regional security and international navigation. He affirmed that the government’s responsibility is to manage this phase with a state-oriented mindset, avoiding exaggeration or denial. He also emphasized that the difficult field developments witnessed in recent days should not be interpreted as the end of the confrontation or a resolution of its trajectory, noting that battles are not measured by the outcome of a single day or a change in position, but by the state’s ability to reorganize its efforts, mobilize its resources, support its forces, maintain the cohesion of its institutions, and regain the initiative. Al-Zandani confirmed that the government is monitoring field developments and working to prioritize and take necessary measures, stressing that security and military developments will not disrupt the work of state institutions. Meanwhile, the meeting discussed the progress of military operations on several fronts, the readiness level of government forces, and the humanitarian repercussions of the escalation, including new waves of displacement, and measures related to services, health, supply, and the economy. The meeting also addressed the repercussions of the escalation on the western coast and the Bab al-Mandab strait, and international navigation, with the Yemeni government considering threats to ships and trade routes as a danger that extends beyond Yemen’s internal affairs.