Iran does not appear interested in a long-term peace settlement in Yemen, a US State Department official has told The National.
Timothy Lenderking, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Arabian Gulf Affairs, spoke on Sunday at the third UAE Security Forum at New York University Abu Dhabi, where officials and policymakers met to address the challenges of peace and reconstruction in Yemen.
Iran has been “keeping the flames [of war] stoked and the Saudis bogged down in the conflict” for years, Mr Lenderking said.
Iran is believed to have played a key role in strengthening Yemen's rebel movement by sending advanced weapons and military advisers. Iran "enables the Houthis to menace the Saudi border… and their territorial integrity," Mr Lenderking told The National on the side-lines of the conference.
Mr Lenderking's comments came as a Yemeni government delegation and Houthi rebels met face-to-face for the first time at peace talks in Sweden on Sunday.
The optics of handshaking is important, said the official, “but even more important is the engagement. Let’s not overestimate chances of breakthrough, but there has been good progress.”
The conference in Abu Dhabi focused on Yemen’s post-war future, in particular stabilisation, reconstruction and development.
But any move towards elections should be undertaken cautiously, said the Chairman of Yemen's Justice and Building Party.
“We’ve seen how rushing into elections throws society back into conflict,” said Mohammed Abulahoum.
Instead, the country needs to re-establish security and prioritise grassroot reconstruction projects, Mr Abulahoum said. “We can’t focus on the mega projects and not those that will… have an impact on the average citizens.”
Mr Abulahoum, a leading politician and social figure in Yemen, had arrived in Abu Dhabi directly from Stockholm, where he was participating in the talks.
The Yemeni government needed to shoulder some responsibility for the country’s situation and for allowing the Houthi rebellion to grow in strength, he said.
“The challenge right now is to learn from the [past] experiences… when everybody was busy in the national dialogue, talking about the constitution, we never focused on the problems that people had,” he said, referring to the state of the country before its descent into civil war. “Even the money that the donors committed to Yemen – about eight billion – was not absorbed or allocated to serious projects.”
Even as this week’s peace talks offer a glimmer of optimism that Yemen’s warring factions might reach a cessation of hostilities, the scale of reconstruction efforts offers an intimidating prospect to the government and humanitarian agencies.
The United Nations describes Yemen as the world's worst humanitarian crisis, where as many as 20 million are food insecure. The UN refugee agency said on Friday there were nearly 1,500 civilian casualties between August and October.
Lise Grande, the UN Resident Coordinator in Yemen, said the UN was focusing on a new approach to stabilisation. “We have in many countries tried to stabilise and we have not done it as effectively as people expect us to,” Ms Grande said during the forum.
The UN intends to focus on rapid and simple stabilisation in Yemen, she said, prioritising worst affected areas and projects certain to have a positive impact on the community.
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Read more:
Yemen's warring parties still at odds over key agenda items as talks enter third day
Exclusive: Mesa to include nine countries while prioritising Iran threat
Senate agrees to debate US Role in Yemen war
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
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6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
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THREE
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Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
THE%C2%A0SPECS
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Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
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The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
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Starting price: Dh79,000
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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Anghami
Started: December 2011
Co-founders: Elie Habib, Eddy Maroun
Based: Beirut and Dubai
Sector: Entertainment
Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital
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Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m
Winner: Omania, Saif Al Balushi (jockey), Ibrahim Al Hadhrami (trainer)
5.30pm: Conditions (PA) Dh85,000 1,600m
Winner: Brehaan, Richard Mullen, Ana Mendez
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m
Winner: Craving, Connor Beasley, Simon Crisford
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Prep (PA) Dh100,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: Fertile De Croate, Sam Hitchcott, Ibrahim Aseel
The specs: 2018 Maserati GranTurismo/GranCabrio
Price, base Dh485,000 (GranTurismo) and Dh575,000 (GranCabrio)
Engine 4.7L V8
Transmission Six-speed automatic
Power 460hp @ 7,000rpm
Torque 520Nm @ 4,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 14.3L (GranTurismo) and 14.5L (GranCabrio) / 100km
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