Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed bin Saeed Al-Jaber stressed on Monday that the Kingdom supports the political process in the war-torn country and will not allow it to become a “new Somalia.”
Speaking from Riyadh, he warned that the Iran-backed Houthi militias must not become a “new Hezbollah” on Saudi borders.
“We hope the political course will succeed and believe that it is the solution,” he added.
The Houthis have however been stalling in implementing the recently agreed ceasefire that was reached in Sweden in December, said Jaber.
The militias are known for reneging on all agreements, he remarked.
“We are confronted with a gang and terrorist group. Military and political pressure have been exerted on it to return to political dialogue. It is now standing before a real test to withdraw from Hodeidah and its three ports and restore control to the legitimacy forces,” he stressed.
The Sweden deal calls for the Houthis to pull out from Hodeidah city and its three ports and return them under the control of the legitimate forces that were there before their 2014 coup.
“We hope the deal will be implemented soon,” added Jaber.
The Houthis have destroyed hopes, the state and Yemen’s social fabric and military, he charged.
Moreover, he accused the Houthis of following foreign agendas dictated by the Iranian regime that calls for seizing the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
He explained that after capturing Sanaa, the Houthis did not head to nearby Marib, which boasts oil and gas facilities, but they turned directly to distant Aden. The move, ordered by Iran, was aimed at seizing the strategic Mandeb Strait.
The Saudi-led Arab coalition’s operation Decisive Storm in Yemen will end by restoring security in the country through the help of its brothers in Saudi Arabia, the Arab Gulf and international community, Jaber continued.
This requires a political solution between all sides, he said.
