Mohammed Abdel Salam, the chief negotiator for the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement in Yemen, stated on Sunday that there is no benefit in holding talks with the new UN special envoy for Yemen unless there is movement concerning the movement's main conditions laid out during the stalled peace process. The appointment of Swedish diplomat Hans Grundberg as the new special envoy for Yemen came on Friday as the UN and the United States strive to make progress towards ending the six-year war between the Houthis and the Saudi-led military coalition supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government.
A UN-led initiative calling for a ceasefire and the lifting of the maritime and aerial restrictions imposed by the coalition on areas controlled by the Houthis has stalled. The coalition seeks a simultaneous agreement, while the Houthis insist on lifting the blockade first. Abdel Salam stated on Twitter regarding Grundberg's appointment, "There is no point in any dialogue before opening airports and ports as a priority, need, and humanitarian necessity."
When contacted by Reuters, Abdel Salam said in a text message, "We see no merit in that; the envoy has no authority for us to meet with him," adding that there has been no progress since US envoy Timothy Lenderking's visit to Riyadh last month. Lenderking's recent visit to the region coincided with ground battles outside the gas-rich city of Marib, which is the last stronghold of the government in the north that the Houthis are attempting to seize.
The conflict, widely viewed in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands and pushed Yemen to the brink of famine. The coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted the Saudi-backed government from the capital, Sana'a, but the war has been at a military stalemate for years, with the group controlling most major urban centers. The Houthis claim they are fighting a corrupt regime and foreign aggression.
