Deputy President of the Yemeni Presidential Council, Tariq Saleh, confirmed on Thursday that deterring the Houthi militias by force is the key to achieving peace in Yemen.

This came during his meeting with the US Special Envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, during which he stressed that “seeking peace with the terrorist Houthi militia through negotiation is a waste of time, and that confronting it with force is the key to peace.”

Saleh discussed with the American envoy the developments of the situation in Yemen, regional developments, and common visions for confronting Houthi terrorism.

During the meeting, Tariq Saleh presented the Leadership Council’s vision for the solution, and the humanitarian and economic challenges facing Yemen, noting the importance of international support for the government at this stage at all levels.

He also affirmed "the unity of the Command Council, the government, and the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities, within the aspirations of the Yemenis for the return of their country as a state that serves its citizens and works with the international community in maintaining security and stability and respecting the sovereignty of the people."

He pointed out "the importance of the international community realizing the danger posed by the Iranian threat in Yemen to the interests of the Yemenis and the world together, after the international community continued to view Al-Houthi as a party with which it could be reached."

American commitment

For his part, the American envoy affirmed the United States’ commitment to confronting terrorism and continuing to support the Presidential Command Council, indicating that Washington realizes that the Houthis are the main obstacle to peace.

Tariq Saleh, separately, held talks with the Governor of Al-Bayda Governorate, Major General Nasser Al-Khader Al-Sawadi, about the conditions of the governorate in light of the escalation of Houthi militia violations against civilians, the most recent of which were the horrific massacres and the blowing up and looting of citizens’ homes in the village of Hanaka Al Masoud.

Saleh saluted the positions of the tribes of Al-Bayda Governorate, past and present, in defending the republican system and its gains, stressing that they deny the ability of the Houthis to subjugate the Yemenis by force of arms and impose a religious and cultural agenda that is contrary to the people’s faith and patriotism.