The U.S. State Department announced in a statement that Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking will travel to Saudi Arabia and Oman on Thursday to engage in discussions with government officials regarding efforts to end the civil war in Yemen. The department stated that Lenderking's talks "will focus on ensuring the regular and unobstructed delivery of goods and humanitarian assistance across Yemen, supporting a permanent ceasefire, and transitioning the parties to a political process."
A military coalition led by Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen in March 2015 to confront the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels after they overthrew the internationally recognized government from the capital, Sanaa. The civil war has resulted in what the United Nations describes as the worst humanitarian crisis in the world, with about 80 percent of Yemen's 29 million population relying on aid and 13 million facing the threat of starvation.
Since taking office in January, U.S. President Joe Biden has prioritized Yemen in his foreign policy, appointing Lenderking to help revive stalled U.N. talks aimed at ending a conflict widely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The battle for the gas-rich Marib province is hampering U.S. efforts to achieve a ceasefire essential for ending the war. The State Department noted that Lenderking "will build on international consensus for halting the Houthi offensive in Marib, which will only exacerbate the humanitarian crisis threatening the Yemeni people."
Last week, Lenderking described the Marib battle as the single greatest threat to peace efforts, stating that Iran’s support for the Houthi movement is "immense and lethal." Iran denies supporting the Houthis.
