POWDER KEG MIDDLE EAST: Yemeni Leader Calls for National Mobilization against Iran-Backed Houthi Militias, Urges Citizens To Join Armed Forces

Yemen’s Presidential Council chairman, Rashad al-Alimi, has called for a general mobilization of citizens to join the armed forces against the Iran-backed Houthi militias. This appeal follows a significant offensive by the Houthis, who have captured key Red Sea coastal districts and islands, now controlling Yemen’s entire coastline along the Red Sea and threatening shipping in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Al-Alimi also offered amnesty to defectors and emphasized that concessions to militias only lead to further escalation, urging an end to the suffering and a return to peace.

• Yemen’s leader, Rashad al-Alimi, is calling for national mobilization and urging citizens to join the armed forces.
• Houthi rebels have launched a rapid offensive, overrunning government positions and capturing key Red Sea coastal areas, including the port of Mokha.
• The Houthis now control Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline and threaten shipping through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
• Al-Alimi offered amnesty to those defecting from the Houthi side and stressed that appeasing militias leads to escalation.
• The Houthi rebels are described as a well-armed force, a ‘terrorist proxy of Iran’.