International

UN calls to spare Yemen from regional escalation

UN envoy to Yemen held consultations in Riyadh with Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi, Saudi Ambassador Mohammed al-Jaber, and representatives of the permanent member states of the Security Council...

Mohammed Sameai

19 July 2026 • Update: 19 July 2026

YEMEN

Yemen / Anadolu

UN Special Envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg on Sunday called for isolating the country from ongoing regional escalation, during discussions in the Saudi capital Riyadh on de-escalation and preserving the political process.

The UN envoy's office said in a statement that Grundberg concluded a visit to Riyadh after meetings with Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber, and representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council (United States, China, Russia, Britain, and France).

It added that the discussions focused on immediate de-escalation and the parties agreeing on a path that preserves gains achieved through the UN-brokered truce in 2022.

Grundberg stressed the importance of "insulating Yemen from broader regional escalation and preserving the space needed for an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process to end the conflict."

In this context, Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said that peace in Yemen requires "bold political tests" and that "there is no future for any group that disputes the government's exclusive powers."

He added that this includes "any group that keeps weapons outside state institutions or claims a political, religious, or lineage-based right that overrides the will of citizens and the rule of law."

Alimi accused the Houthi group of shirking peace entitlements whenever international efforts approach progress, according to the official Yemeni news agency (Saba).

Grundberg's moves come amid escalating tension between the Yemeni government and the Houthi group, with both sides exchanging sharp messages.

On Friday, the Presidential Leadership Council announced that the "time of decision" had come to restore state institutions from the Houthi group, while the group mobilized thousands of its supporters and declared heightened readiness and hinted at open options.

On Monday, the spokesman for the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen, Turki al-Maliki, announced the interception of ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group towards the southern region of Saudi Arabia, the first such attack since the start of the truce in 2022, according to Anadolu monitoring.

This came hours after the Yemeni Defense Ministry announced targeting the runway of Sanaa International Airport to prevent an Iranian plane from landing, while the Houthi group considered the step an end to de-escalation and vowed retaliation.

On July 3, the Yemeni government accused Iran of sending a plane belonging to Mahan Air to Sanaa to transport a Houthi delegation to Tehran, the first announced Iranian flight to Sanaa airport in nearly ten years, according to Yemeni media.

The developments on the Yemeni scene coincide with rising regional tension amid fears that the Houthis will expand their intervention in the war with the resumption of aggression against Iran.

On July 8, US President Donald Trump announced the end of the ceasefire with Iran signed on June 18, after Iran attacked three ships while crossing the Strait of Hormuz a day earlier, claiming they failed to follow the designated shipping route, prompting Washington to launch attacks on sites inside Iran.

Tehran has been retaliating for days by shelling what it says are US military facilities in Arab countries, while some of those countries have announced that the attacks resulted in civilian casualties and damage to civilian facilities.