Yemen has asked the U.S. for training and intelligence support for the Yemeni armed forces and coast guard, as well as continued political, economic and humanitarian support, but their foreign minister made no mention of military support in a briefing to reporters Wednesday.Afrah Alzouba, Yemen’s first female foreign minister, spoke in a briefing on several topics related to the ongoing Yemen-Houthi war, but did not explicitly mention requests for military support.
In addition to intelligence and training, Alzouba requested the U.S. expand sanctions against the Houthis. She also asked for the EU and Washington to coordinate more closely on sanctions.She struck an aggressive tone when asked about possible negotiations with the Houthi militia, saying, “We are not calling for starting any negotiations.” The Yemeni government eventually wants a peaceful settlement but is prioritizing military operations to end Houthi control, she said.She also emphasized Yemeni ownership of ongoing operations with air support from coalition partners: “The decision is Yemeni.
The command is Yemeni. The soldiers are Yemenis.”The Saudis are the strongest backers of the official Yemeni government forces, which has earned the ire of the Houthis. They have repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia in recent weeks, including a strike that killed 13 people at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport.Alzouba said the contacts cited last month by President Trump between the U.S.
and Houthis, which surprised some in the U.S., involved “warnings” against further attacks. She did not elaborate on timing or channels.
