What does the Houthi group want after the 'Memorandum of Understanding'?

What the Houthi group wants from its negative moves and extremist statements, after three years of silence, is to affirm its political legitimacy in ruling Yemen, to affirm its military and security subordination to Iran, and to affirm the Yemeni state's subordination to Iran's directives, seeking to enhance Iran's regional and international standing..

Given what was included in the 'US-Iranian Memorandum of Understanding' signed by US President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on June 18, 2026, with its 14 clauses, especially the first clause, it sent a positive and reassuring message to all agents, followers, and clients of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and delivered a negative and warning message to all countries in the Middle East. Yes, while most of the 14 clauses of the 'Memorandum of Understanding' contained positive messages to all of Iran's agents and clients, the first clause included an explicit and encouraging message to all of Iran's agents and clients in the region, including the 'Houthi group,' which read the first clause carefully and acted upon the deep message it contained, in precise coordination with its supporter and financier in Iran.

This message contained in the first clause is as follows: 'The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran and their allies in the current war sign this Memorandum of Understanding to declare an immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, and pledge from now on not to wage any war or any military action against each other, and to refrain from threatening to use force or using force against each other, and to guarantee the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final agreement will affirm the permanent cessation of war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and other clauses of this paragraph.'

Yes, the Islamic Republic of Iran succeeded in imposing its agents and clients in the 'Memorandum of Understanding,' and succeeded in obtaining US approval to accept its representation of all its agents and clients in the region, and managed to obtain US approval for the legitimacy of its intervention in the internal affairs of countries where its clients, agents, and supporters exist in Lebanon ('Hezbollah'), in Iraq ('Popular Mobilization Forces militias'), and in Yemen ('Houthi group'). And if Iranian intervention has been explicit, direct, and declared in its support, funding, and training of its agents and clients in Lebanon and Iraq for decades, its declared, explicit, and direct presence began with the signing of the 'US-Iranian Memorandum of Understanding' on June 18, 2026, with the announcement of the arrival of the first Iranian civilian aircraft to Sanaa airport on July 3, 2026, which is occupied and controlled by the 'Houthi group.'

And if the arrival of the Iranian plane to Sanaa airport is considered a clear violation of the sovereignty of the Yemeni state, represented by the internationally recognized Yemeni government based in Aden, then the US failure to condemn this Iranian move towards Yemen is considered acceptance of the legitimacy of Iranian interference in Yemen's internal affairs through its support, funding, and backing of the 'Houthi group,' in accordance with what was included in the 'Memorandum of Understanding.' And if the extremist threats announced by the 'Houthi group' declaring its ability to disrupt maritime navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb strait and targeting oil tankers in the Red Sea constitute a clear violation of international law and a direct threat to regional and international peace, security, and stability, then the US failure to condemn the statements of the 'Houthi group,' which has declared its subordination to Iran, is considered acceptance of the legitimacy of its control over Sanaa, and acceptance of the legitimacy of its extremist statements that align with Iran's regional policy, in accordance with what was included in the 'Memorandum of Understanding.'

In conclusion, it is important to say that the negative moves undertaken by the 'Houthi group,' namely tightening the noose on the Yemeni people, threatening to close the Bab el-Mandeb strait, and targeting maritime navigation in the Red Sea, stem from the explicit and implicit approval expressed by the United States in the 'Memorandum of Understanding' for Iranian regional policies and orientations. Yes, what the 'Houthi group' wants from its negative moves and extremist statements, after three years of silence, is to affirm its political legitimacy in ruling Yemen, to affirm its military and security subordination to Iran, and to affirm the Yemeni state's subordination to Iran's directives, seeking to enhance Iran's regional and international standing, in implementation of what was included in the 'Memorandum of Understanding' and what its clauses contained in terms of explicit meanings and deep implications.