Yemen's vice president backs Trump's tough line on Houthis

Gen Aidarus Al Zoubaidi tells The National he welcomes US decision to designate militants as foreign terrorist organisation

Yemen's vice president has backed US President Donald Trump's tough line against the Houthi rebels, with the Iran-backed group having spent the past 15 months terrorising international shipping in the Red Sea.

Gen Aidarus Al Zoubaidi, who serves on Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, welcomed the US decision to redesignate the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organisation and called for a policy of maximum pressure.

"Houthi actions in Yemen and against international maritime shipping are a clear act of terrorism and a violation of international law. President Trump has shown decisive leadership where others have not," Gen Al Zoubaidi told The National at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

"The Houthis and its backers in Tehran understand deterrence only through clear actions that are backed with credibility. This is why I have been calling for a comprehensive strategy to the Red Sea crisis and to end the Yemen conflict. This requires a joined-up approach that has been lacking until now.

President Trump has shown decisive leadership where others have not

Gen Aidarus Al Zoubaidi

"They are escalating in the Red Sea, escalating in this region. We are expecting more assertive and direct policies."

Gen Al Zoubaidi said he had not had contact with the new US administration but hopes to speak to Mr Trump's team soon.

The Houthis have launched attacks on nearly 200 international vessels since the start of the Gaza war in 2023, hitting and damaging about 40 ships, which the group claimed had links to Israeli companies. On Tuesday, the Houthis released the 25 crew members of the Galaxy Leader from captivity after 430 days in grim captivity.

Gen Al Zoubaidi said sufficient military pressure would eventually force the Houthis to back down or come to the negotiating table, although he expects Yemen to remain split into two states for the foreseeable future. A road map to peace collapsed after the October 7 Hamas-led attacks on Israel, which was followed by the devastating war on Gaza.

American and Israeli warplanes have hammered Houthi positions in Yemeni cities, including the capital Sanaa, in recent months, but the deterrent has not halted attacks on shipping and Israel. When the Houthis seized parts of Yemen a decade ago, they captured weapons stockpiles from the government and have been propped by financially and militarily by Tehran.

"On the ground, we have the internationally recognised government forces, who are ready for anything," said Gen Zoubaidi, who is head of the ruling Southern Transitional Council in Aden and oversees the armed forces.

"The Arab allies are also present there. And at the same time, the US and the UK are in a direct conflict with the Houthis. What we need now is more co-ordination between all of these layers, in order to push the Houthis, to reach a more effective peace process."

Houthis' billion-dollar ransoms

The Houthis have shaken down international shipping companies in exchange for halting attacks on certain vessels. Reports say this has earned the group about $2 billion a year.

"Houthi militias have taken ransom money from shipping companies to offer a safe passage," Gen Al Zoubaidi said. "Regarding their funding, of course, Iran backs them directly with money, weapons and fuel, in addition to military equipment.

"When Houthi militias started attacking ships in the Red and Arab seas, they acquired modern technology and high-tech naval missiles that are very accurate. Iran remains their biggest supporter and they might double their military and economic support, because they are the only militant arm [in the so-called Axis of Resistance] that is still remaining until now."

In the divided country, it is Yemeni civilians who are suffering the most, he said. Yemen is the Arab world's poorest state.

"Quality of life in Yemen is declining, especially with the collapse of the local currency," Gen Al Zoubaidi said. "In both areas controlled by the Presidential Leadership Council and under Houthi rule, people struggle very hard in their daily lives. High prices of food and medicine compared to the local currency made it hard to satisfy their needs."

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