Yemen Government Urges West to Strike Houthi Forces Amid Iran's Weakness

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The vice-president of Yemen's UN-backed government, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, has called for the West to take military action against the Tehran-backed Houthi leadership in Yemen, asserting that Iran's recent setbacks in Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza have left it significantly weakened. Speaking from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Zoubaidi urged the new US administration to classify the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization and emphasized the importance of coordinated airstrikes combined with ground operations led by Yemeni forces.

Zoubaidi highlighted the need for a comprehensive military approach targeting the Houthi leadership's strongholds, criticizing current US and UK airstrikes as ineffective due to their lack of coordination. He indicated that the Houthis have threatened commercial shipping in the Red Sea, purportedly as a show of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The Aden-based government is ready to share intelligence with any entities conducting strikes on Houthi positions and signaled potential cooperation with various countries, including Israel. Zoubaidi's remarks reflect a shift away from the year-old diplomatic efforts aimed at peace in Yemen, underscoring the escalating urgency for military intervention to address the challenges posed by the Houthis.

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