Yemen leader: Iran deal must tackle regional militia network

Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council chief, Rashad al-Alimi, has warned that any potential agreement with Iran will be inherently fragile if it fails to confront Tehran's backing of Shiite armed groups throughout the Middle East. Speaking during a meeting with Turkey's charge d'affaires in Yemen in Riyadh, Al-Alimi stressed that accords solely aimed at de-escalating tensions or resolving disputes over Iran's nuclear program would not secure enduring stability.

"Any de-escalation agreement that does not address the Iranian regime's use of armed militias as cross-border tools will remain a fragile agreement, aimed at managing the crisis, not resolving it," Al-Alimi stated, according to the official Yemeni news agency Saba.

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Any de-escalation agreement that does not address the Iranian regime's use of armed militias as cross-border tools will remain a fragile agreement, aimed at managing the crisis, not resolving it.

Al-Alimi highlighted Iran's role in leading the so-called 'Axis of Resistance,' which includes Yemen's Houthi rebels, Lebanon's Hezbollah, and pro-Iranian militias in Iraq. These groups have faced significant pressure during conflicts in Iran and the Gaza Strip.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government has long accused Tehran of providing military and political support to the Houthi movement, which currently controls a substantial portion of northwestern Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. Al-Alimi concluded by stating, "True peace begins with respect for state sovereignty, an end to support for militias, the disarmament and withdrawal of their weapons and funding, and the guarantee that only the state has authority over war and peace."

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True peace begins with respect for state sovereignty, the end of support for militias, the disarmament and withdrawal of their weapons and funding, and the guarantee that only the state has authority over war and peace.