The American envoy to Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, warned of the danger of the military escalation by the Ansar Allah group “Houthis” and its repercussions on peace efforts, calling on them to stop their “reckless and indiscriminate” attacks in the Red Sea.

Lenderking said during a segment of the November 14, 2024 episode of the “From Washington” program, which is broadcast on the “Al Jazeera 360” platform, that “the situation in Yemen is very delicate,” indicating that there is a truce currently in place and a cessation of the violent fighting that has continued. For years.

But he warned that “the repression practiced by the Houthis is increasing,” and that “their strategy has begun to collapse because it has alienated the international community.”

Lenderking criticized the "reckless and indiscriminate" attacks carried out by the Houthis in the Red Sea, which "target navigation and led to the killing of innocent sailors and the burning and sinking of ships"

He said, "Everyone is tired of this and feels frustrated by the actions of the Houthis, and they want to stop all these attacks."

The American diplomat called on the Houthis to stop their attacks in the Red Sea, saying: “If we witness some rational actions from the Houthis, we may talk about returning to the peace efforts that the current American administration wants.”

The impact of the war on Gaza

Regarding the impact of the war on the Gaza Strip on peace efforts in Yemen, he explained that this had a “negative and significant impact,” adding that “the Houthis missed the opportunity for a truce and did not achieve any positive results from it, despite the international community’s willingness to move forward in providing humanitarian aid.” ".

The American official stressed that “Gaza needs a ceasefire,” considering that “the Houthis are exploiting this conflict in a way that does not benefit the Palestinians.”

He said: “We want the Yemenis to be a priority for the Houthis, and this can happen when they stop attacks in the Red Sea, and we return to focusing on peace efforts.”

Regarding the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Yemen, Lenderking stressed that “the goal of the American administration is to improve the situation and reduce the crisis,” pointing out that “the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have diverted donors’ attention from the urgent need in Yemen.”

The American envoy criticized "the Houthis' move to arrest more than 100 humanitarian aid workers in Yemen," stressing that "this is offensive and harmful to the Yemenis."