Yemen leader calls for international action against Houthi 'aggression'

Yemen's President Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi has urged the international community to take decisive action against Houthi separatists, whom he described as an 'international terrorist organization' posing a threat to regional and global security. Speaking on September 25, 2025, Al-Alimi stated that the Houthis are armed with advanced Iranian weaponry, including ballistic missiles and drones, and have used tactics such as leveraging hunger and controlling maritime passages for blackmail.

Al-Alimi criticized previous international containment efforts as ineffective, arguing that they have led to more disaster and destruction. He highlighted that the Houthis have also targeted humanitarian workers, detaining UN staff and raiding agency offices. The Yemeni leader called for the formation of an 'effective international coalition' to restore security and stability, rebuild state institutions, and liberate the country from the militia's control.

Abdulmalik al-Mekhlafi, deputy chairman of Yemen’s Consultation and Reconciliation Authority, echoed these sentiments by condemning recent Houthi attacks on government positions in Hadramout and Marib. Al-Mekhlafi asserted that the Houthis' true objective is to perpetuate the war and prevent the restoration of the state, suggesting that ending the 'militia’s coup' and restoring state institutions in Sanaa is the only way to prevent further aggression.

The conflict in Yemen, ongoing since 2014 between the internationally recognized government and Houthi militants, has resulted in a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and public services collapsed. A fragile truce brokered in 2022 has helped reduce fighting, but violations persist.