Yemen / Anadolu

Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council member Abdullah al-Alimi discussed on Wednesday with British Minister of State for the Armed Forces Louise Sander-Jones ways to enhance military support for the Yemeni government in confronting the threats of the Houthi group.

That came during a meeting between the two sides in the British capital London, which al-Alimi has been visiting for days, according to what was reported by the official Yemeni news agency (Saba), without specifying the duration of the visit.

The agency explained that al-Alimi discussed with the British minister "ways to enhance defense and security cooperation between the two friendly countries, and joint coordination to confront the Houthi threats, backed by the Iranian regime, to regional security and international navigation in the Red Sea."

The meeting, according to the agency, witnessed a review of friendship and partnership relations between the two countries, and discussion of prospects for developing cooperation, especially in defense and security fields, along with discussing developments in the political and military situation in Yemen.

The two sides also addressed the threats posed by the "terrorist Houthi militia" to international navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb, and the efforts made by the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to enhance the capabilities of state institutions and military and security agencies.

The two parties discussed the possibility of expanding security and military support programs for the Yemeni government, especially in the areas of rehabilitation, training and capacity building, to enhance the readiness of the armed forces and security agencies to carry out their constitutional duties in protecting national sovereignty and securing borders, ports and sea lanes, according to the agency.

Al-Alimi considered that "the landing of an Iranian plane last week at Sanaa airport, and the operation of a second flight to Hodeidah airport after its inability to land in Sanaa, represent an attempt to impose a fait accompli outside the sovereignty of the Yemeni state, and to open an illegal path for transferring experts, equipment and weapons to the Houthi militia, threatening the security of the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and international navigation."

Al-Alimi held "the terrorist Houthi militias and the Iranian regime fully responsible for this escalation and its repercussions."

He stressed that "the Yemeni government will take all legitimate diplomatic, legal and military measures guaranteed by the constitution and international law, to protect the country's sovereignty, airspace and ports, and prevent the recurrence of these violations."

For her part, the British Minister of State for the Armed Forces affirmed the United Kingdom's keenness to continue supporting the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government, and to enhance bilateral partnership in various fields.

She added that this "contributes to supporting peace and recovery efforts, enhancing the security of Yemen and the region, and confronting threats targeting international navigation in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb," according to the agency.

On Monday, the Yemeni government announced that its forces targeted the runway of Sanaa International Airport to prevent the landing of an Iranian plane, saying that this came in response to what it described as a violation of the country's sovereignty, before the plane landed at Hodeidah Airport in western Yemen.

In response, the Houthi group at that time accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Sanaa airport, considering that it marks an end to de-escalation, while Riyadh did not issue a comment on those accusations.