British move to contain the escalation of Al-Houthi .. condemning the Jeddah attack and consultations with Muscat

English - Wednesday 25 November 2020 الساعة 04:31 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, Special Report:

 On Tuesday, the United Kingdom began to act on more than one level, in an attempt to contain the repercussions of the Houthi militia - Iran's arm in Yemen - a missile attack on oil facilities in the Saudi city of Jeddah at dawn on Monday.

The United Kingdom began its move by issuing a statement condemning the attack by Foreign Minister Dominic Raab, calling on the Houthis to stop their aggression and work with the United Nations to achieve peace.

Later, the British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, made a phone call with the Sultan of Oman, Sultan Haitham Al Said, who was devoted to discussing the security of the region and the file of the Yemen crisis, according to what was mentioned by the British Prime Minister.

"The contact discussed security in the region, the crisis in Yemen, trade issues, and the recent progress in discovering anti-Coronavirus vaccines," the statement said.

"The two leaders discussed the crisis in Yemen, and the (British) Prime Minister praised the efforts of the Sultanate of Oman to bring the parties together with the aim of reaching a negotiated solution to the crisis," he added, without giving any other details.

The Sultanate of Oman has good relations with the Houthi coup militia, and in its capital Muscat is the Houthi negotiation delegation headed by Muhammad Abdulsalam.

Johnson's contact with the Sultan of Oman to discuss the region's security file and the Yemen crisis reflects London's desire to strengthen Muscat's efforts to contain the Houthi escalation and push the coup militia to respond to the international efforts seeking to conclude a truce in accordance with the draft of the joint declaration of a ceasefire agreement, prepared by the UN envoy who holds British citizenship, Martin Griffiths.

This move comes from British fears that the escalating Houthi attacks against Saudi Arabia with drones, ballistic and winged missiles, especially since the arrival of the Revolutionary Guard General Hassan Erlo to Sanaa, undermine the international efforts and Griffiths' efforts to make a breakthrough in the Yemeni file through a comprehensive ceasefire and the resumption of stalled political consultations since 2018.

These concerns were expressed by the Minister for the Middle East at the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Development, James Cleverley, in a statement Tuesday, saying that "the Houthi cross-border attacks with Saudi Arabia threaten to derail the peace process led by the UN envoy and endanger the lives of civilians."

Minister Cleverley stressed that "the only way to end the terrible crisis in Yemen is through the Yemeni parties to stop fighting and return to the negotiating table."

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a brief statement on his Twitter account that he condemned the Houthi attack on Aramco, saying this attack on civilian infrastructure contradicted the Houthis' claims that they wanted to end the conflict.

He concluded by saying, "With Yemen at risk of famine, the Houthis must stop their aggression and work with the United Nations to achieve peace."

It is noteworthy that Britain leads international efforts in the Yemeni issue, as it is the pen-holder in the Yemeni file at the United Nations.