U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking revealed that the United States has been communicating with the Yemeni Ansar Allah group through back channels.
Lenderking stated during a press briefing at the U.S. State Department on Tuesday, "We have ways to convey messages to the Houthis and are using those channels very actively while directly engaging with the leadership of the main countries involved." The U.S. envoy to Yemen also urged Iran to stop supporting the Houthis, labeling the group as "murderous." On Tuesday, Washington called on the Ansar Allah group to cease its advance towards the city of Marib, which is under the control of government forces, halt its military operations, and return to the negotiating table to resolve the crisis in Yemen.
The U.S. State Department said in a statement, "The Houthis' attack on Marib is an act by a group that is not committed to peace or to ending the war that has afflicted the Yemeni people." It emphasized that "If the Houthis are serious about reaching a negotiated political solution, they must stop all military advances and cease other destabilizing actions, including border attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia."
In response, the Yemeni Ansar Allah group reacted to the U.S. call to halt its attacks on Saudi territory and return to the negotiating table to resolve the Yemeni crisis. The group's spokesman, Mohammed Abd al-Salam, confirmed via his Twitter account that "Ansar Allah is ready to positively engage with any initiatives or political processes aimed at achieving peace in the country," stating, "We are the ones calling for constructive and successful political action after a comprehensive halt to the aggression and lift of the siege."
Abd al-Salam added, "From our past experiences, no political process will succeed under fire and siege; the aggressor must stop its aggression and blockade, and we are ready to engage positively." Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia has led a military coalition of Arab and Islamic countries in support of the internationally recognized Yemeni government in its efforts to regain control of the capital, Sana'a, and large areas in northern and western Yemen that were seized by the Ansar Allah group in late 2014. In return, the Ansar Allah group has been conducting drone attacks, ballistic missile strikes, and explosive-laden boat operations targeting Saudi and Yemeni forces inside Yemen and within Saudi territory.
