The US bombing campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels complicates the already challenging process of reaching a political agreement to end more than decade of civil war in the country, officials and experts told The National.
For years, the UN has been pushing for a political solution to end the conflict that has killed more than 230,000 people and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
The latest US strikes, which began in mid-March, and the designation of the Iran-backed rebels as a terrorist group by the administration of President Donald Trump add another layer of complexity to those efforts.
“Military action alone cannot compel the Houthis to engage in negotiations. Achieving sustainable peace in Yemen necessitates a holistic strategy that extends beyond military force or sanctions,” Afrah Nasser, non-resident fellow at the Arab Centre Washington, DC, told The National.
“Initiating meaningful peace talks requires laying a foundation that goes beyond punitive measures, focusing instead on a comprehensive approach."
The Houthis began attacking shipping in the Red Sea after the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with the attacks disrupting the key trade route between Europe and Asia. The rebels claimed they were showing solidarity with Palestinians by attacking vessels with links to Israel and its main ally, the US. The attacks continued despite the US and the EU sending naval forces to the area, but paused when a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas began on January 19.
The Houthis threatened to resume their attacks because of an Israeli blockade on aid entering Gaza, prompting Washington to launch near daily strikes.
The rebels are likely to escalate attacks in the Red Sea despite the US campaign, resulting in an additional “layer of complexity to any discussions to reach a viable peace plan" in Yemen, said Baraa Shiban, associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute.
“The previous format of the peace process is no longer viable. None of the Yemeni groups want to discuss the future with the Houthis while they are being targeted and labelled as a foreign terrorist organisation."
At the same time, the Houthis will place little trust in the UN. "They view western states as one bloc," he added. "As long as the US continues its strikes, they view the West as a whole being responsible for this kind of aggression."
The UN and other mediators must keep some "ties and back room doors open until the situation changes in the future", Mr Shiban said.
Hans Grundberg, the UN envoy to Yemen, did not respond to The National's request for comment.
The peace process gained momentum after Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China in 2023. A Houthi delegation was invited to Riyadh for talks on a Yemen ceasefire later that year. However, that effort faltered after the start of the Gaza war.
"The peace process has been frozen since October 7, 2023, and it’s difficult to resume under the current circumstances unless the Houthis change course and stop operations in the maritime lanes," Marwan Ali Noman, former Yemeni deputy permanent representative to the UN, told The National.
But he added that “sanctions and strikes are effective tools to deter the Houthis and encourage others to designate this militia as a terrorist organisation". It is vital to ensure that sanctions do not worsen the humanitarian situation in Yemen, he said.
What is the alternative?
A member of Yemen's internationally recognised government told The National that it needed support from the global community to regain control over the Red Sea. Without that it will be difficult to push for peace, the official said.
"We need to have full control of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, otherwise the negotiations will be pointless. We need to have tools to pressure the Houthi militias," the official said.
"For sustainable solutions, the government must be empowered to regain full control over its territory, with a focus on fostering development and long term stability."
The official added that "Iranian influence must be deterred" and warned that "a delay in ending the Iranian threat will be consequential for the world".
Sanam Vakil, Middle East programme director at Chatham House in London, said there was a need for a "multifaceted strategy that goes beyond the already tested and never fully successful military approach".
Work must be done to build a peace process, including local conflict resolution, that would be supported by the region, she said.
“Supporting the internationally recognised government is needed in the short run," Ms Vakil said. But beyond that "there are a host of other measures, such as economic development, security sector reform and enhanced maritime security, that would be important to see alongside the political efforts".
On the other hand, Thomas Juneau, a Middle East analyst and professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, said there were few “prospects for a viable peace process" in Yemen, even before the Gaza war began and the US launched strikes on the Houthis.
“Renewed strikes could, in theory, serve to pressure the Houthis to come to the negotiating table eventually,” he said. But that is unlikely to happen in the “absence of a broader diplomatic strategy by the US".
A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Saudi Cup race day
Schedule in UAE time
5pm: Mohamed Yousuf Naghi Motors Cup (Turf), 5.35pm: 1351 Cup (T), 6.10pm: Longines Turf Handicap (T), 6.45pm: Obaiya Arabian Classic for Purebred Arabians (Dirt), 7.30pm: Jockey Club Handicap (D), 8.10pm: Samba Saudi Derby (D), 8.50pm: Saudia Sprint (D), 9.40pm: Saudi Cup (D)
MATCH INFO
Everton v Tottenham, Sunday, 8.30pm (UAE)
Match is live on BeIN Sports
THE SCORES
Ireland 125 all out
(20 overs; Stirling 72, Mustafa 4-18)
UAE 125 for 5
(17 overs, Mustafa 39, D’Silva 29, Usman 29)
UAE won by five wickets
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
match info
Maratha Arabians 138-2
C Lynn 91*, A Lyth 20, B Laughlin 1-15
Team Abu Dhabi 114-3
L Wright 40*, L Malinga 0-13, M McClenaghan 1-17
Maratha Arabians won by 24 runs
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
India team for Sri Lanka series
Test squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Priyank Panchal, Mayank Agarwal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, Shubhman Gill, Rishabh Pant (wk), KS Bharath (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Jayant Yadav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Sourabh Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
T20 squad: Rohit Sharma (captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Surya Kumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Deepak Chahar, Deepak Hooda, Ravindra Jadeja, Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
PROFILE BOX:
Company/date started: 2015
Founder/CEO: Rami Salman, Rishav Jalan, Ayush Chordia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Technology, Sales, Voice, Artificial Intelligence
Size: (employees/revenue) 10/ 100,000 downloads
Stage: 1 ($800,000)
Investors: Eight first-round investors including, Beco Capital, 500 Startups, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Hala Fadel, Odin Financial Services, Dubai Angel Investors, Womena, Arzan VC
