The Yemeni ambassador to Lebanon, Abdullah Al-Dais, confirmed that the ongoing military operations on several fronts in Yemen reflect the Yemeni forces regaining the initiative, stressing that the battle is not limited to liberating the land only, but rather aims to restore the state, extend its sovereignty, and confine weapons and military and security decisions to its hands.
In special statements to Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net, Al-Dais pointed to the close interconnection between the security of Yemen and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, condemning the Houthi attacks on Saudi territory, as well as the targeting of civilians, camps for displaced people, and civilian objects inside Yemen. He explained that the security of navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab begins from the mainland by ending the control of armed militias, considering that protecting international corridors is impossible in light of the presence of armed entities outside state institutions that threaten the interior and neighborhood and exploit the Yemeni geography.
Regarding the regional issue, Al-Dais warned of the development of Iranian support for the Houthis from political and media support to military and technical support and capacity building, with the aim of transforming Yemeni geography and the Bab al-Mandab Strait into a card of regional pressure and influence. He pointed out that confronting this expansion requires restoring independent Yemeni decision-making and preventing Yemen’s lands and ports from being turned into tools in conflicts that do not serve its people, stressing that Saudi Arabia is a major partner in supporting legitimacy and stability in the region.
On the political level, the Yemeni ambassador reiterated that the political solution is the final solution, stressing at the same time that true peace cannot be a reward for taking up arms, or the consecration of an imposed reality, or the maintenance of parallel institutions and two armies. Rather, it must lead to a unified Yemeni state, legitimate institutions, and national armed forces.
Regarding the relationship between Hezbollah and the Houthi militia, Al-Dais indicated that this relationship is documented by public confessions from the party’s leadership, indicating that the Secretary-General of Hezbollah, Naeem Qassem, acknowledged that the military leader, Haitham Ali Al-Tabtabai, spent nine years (from 2015 to 2024) in Yemen to train and prepare the Houthi forces. He stressed that this recognition reveals a regional network for exchanging military expertise, stressing at the same time Yemen’s distinction between Lebanon, the state and the people, and any partisan activity that exceeds the borders of the Lebanese state.
In conclusion, Al-Dais stressed that the next stage represents a real test for the international community, whether by addressing the roots of the crisis by restoring the state and its sovereignty, or being content with dealing with its manifestations, stressing that Yemen’s goal is to build a strong and independent state that protects its people and its coasts and works with its brothers, led by Saudi Arabia, to ensure the security and stability of the region.
