Informed sources indicated today, Tuesday, that "Houthi negotiators intend to leave Riyadh after a five-day round of talks with Saudi officials regarding a potential agreement that could pave the way for ending the conflict ongoing in Yemen for about eight years." The U.S. State Department recently welcomed Saudi Arabia's invitation to a delegation from the Yemeni Houthi group for talks in Riyadh, describing it as "an important step toward peace that expands the series of exchanges between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis."
Two sources stated that some progress was made on key sticking points, including the timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country and the mechanism for paying public sector salaries. They added that both sides would meet for further discussions after consultations "soon." The Saudi government has not yet responded to Reuters' requests for comment. The Houthi delegation arrived in Saudi Arabia last week. This is the first official visit of its kind to the kingdom since the outbreak of the war in Yemen in 2014, after the Iran-aligned group forced the Saudi-backed government in Yemen to leave the capital, Sanaa.
The talks focus on reopening the ports controlled by the Houthis and the Sanaa airport fully, paying public sector salaries, reconstruction efforts, and setting a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Yemen. Reaching an agreement would allow the United Nations to resume a broader political peace process. The Houthis have been waging war against a Saudi-led military coalition since 2015 in a conflict that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and left 80% of the Yemeni population dependent on humanitarian aid. Washington has pressured its ally Saudi Arabia to end the war, linking some of its military support to the kingdom's termination of its intervention in Yemen. The first official round of consultations took place in April when Saudi envoys visited Sanaa. The talks are taking place alongside UN-led peace efforts.
