Illustrative image, By the Houthis media wing
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthis’ Supreme Revolutionary Committee, announced on November 18 that the Yemeni group has halted its missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia and the UAE as a goodwill gesture and called for peace talks to end the war in Yemen.
“After our contacts with the U.N. envoy and his request to stop drone and missile strikes … We announce our initiative … to halt missile and drone strikes on the countries of aggression,” Mohammed al-Houthi said in an official statement, according to the Reuters news agency.
Mohammed al-Houthi also stressed that his group only used missiles and armed drones to deter the Saudi-led coalition and stop its attacks on Yemeni civilians and infrastructure.
“If the coalition of aggression wants peace, we are ready to freeze and stop military operations on all fronts,” Mohammed al-Houthi added.
Last month, the U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for a cessation of hostilities in Yemen and revealed that UN-led negotiations to end the war will begin soon. However, the Saudi-led coalition ignored U.S. calls and launched a surprise attack on the Houthi-held city of al-Hudaydah on the western coast of Yemen on November 3.
Less than ten days later, the Saudi-led coalition announced a temporary humanitarian ceasefire in al-Hudaydah after failing to achieve any significant advance on the ground.
The Houthis’ initiative will like result in more pressure from the international community on the Saudi-led coalition, which is now the only side that’s rejecting peace talks.
