Yemen..Indications of progress in the road map negotiations with American support in exchange for the Houthis stopping naval attacks

There are signs of a major agreement in the files, especially the “humanitarian and economic”, between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militias, with great support from the United States in several aspects, in one of the most important indicators of Washington’s efforts to achieve achievements before the presidential elections next November, the most important of which are in American foreign policy.

Last Saturday, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Jarida reported that a secret American delegation left for Tehran under Omani mediation, hours after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” to negotiate with Tehran.

The Kuwaiti newspaper said that the American delegation presented to the Iranian leaders the Biden administration’s desire for fundamental changes, and the demarcation of new regional equations that exclude the current Israeli prime minister, before the end of its term.

A few days ago, there was a high-ranking American delegation visiting Riyadh, including the US Chief National Security Advisor for Middle East Affairs (Brett McGurk), the highest-ranking Middle East advisor in the White House, according to US officials.

The delegation also includes the State Department's highest-ranking diplomat for the Middle East (Barbara Leaf), the US envoy to Yemen (Tim Lindeking), and the highest-ranking military official in the Middle East at the Department of Defense (Dan Shapiro) to hold talks on the situation in Yemen and the recent escalation between Israel and the Houthi group.

The temptations offered to the militia include multiple agreements that include granting the Houthis privileges and meeting demands that they were unable to achieve during the years of war, some of which they had complete control over before they lost them, such as freedom of air movement at Sanaa International Airport away from the coalition’s permission, and re-establishing control over international aid, including aid. Hundreds of millions of dollars from the United States.

According to informed sources, it was Riyadh that convinced the American ambassador to also pressure the government to retract its decisions, despite previous positions of support by the American embassy in Yemen.

Associated Press correspondent Ahmed Al-Hajj said in his account on the “X” platform that the Presidential Council, specifically Rashad Al-Alimi, was surprised by the new American position through the ambassador to Yemen, who expressed his support for the bank’s reversal of its decisions despite his previously supportive position on the financial reforms taken by the bank.

It appears that Washington has also decided to stop the procedures for classifying the Houthi militias as a foreign terrorist organization, which its envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, had hinted at more than once in recent weeks, with this being accompanied by the goal of the negotiations and the road map being to stop Houthi naval attacks.

In the latest indicators of the agreement between Washington and the Houthis with Saudi guarantees, sources working for Yemeni Airlines revealed that the coalition has canceled the mechanism for granting licenses for flights from Sanaa International Airport and has also canceled the requirement to obtain passenger lists through the airport starting in August.

The Yemeni researcher in Washington, Saif Muthana, said in Washington in a post on the “X” platform, “There are guarantees provided by Saudi Arabia to Washington, and these guarantees are some incentives for the Houthis to find a temporary settlement, including paying salaries and abandoning flight control procedures.” And issuing permits for aircraft. However, Saif Muthana adds that the Biden administration still expresses some reservations about this.

In turn, Yemeni writer Marib Al-Ward told “Yemen Shabab Net” that the United States usually works to achieve external and internal settlements before the presidential elections, to ensure victory in the next elections, adding: “The United States exchanged a list of kidnapped persons with the Russians, and is working to achieve a settlement in Sudan, in addition to Yemen, the steps currently taken in Yemen come in this context.”

He continued: “It appears that Saudi Arabia has apparently provided guarantees to the United States that the Houthis will stop naval attacks in exchange for American support for the road plan between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen,” considering that the return of American aid to the Houthis is a positive message from Washington towards the Houthis, and this indicates a mature settlement. backstage.