On Thursday, President Biden formally ended US support to the Saudi-offensive against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, where the world’s biggest humanitarian crisis is ongoing. “The war in Yemen has to end,” he said.
The official statement was made by President Biden at the State Department in the late hours of Thursday. Based on the statement, the help of the US will continue to Saudi Arabia since it faces attacks from Houthi rebels in the former’s own territories. Any related US armament sales have ended, he added.
During his campaign, Biden has frequently pledged that the US support for Saudi operations in Yemen will be ended during his term. With this move, his pledge has been fulfilled.
The Biden administration will pursue diplomatic ways to end the conflict in Yemen. According to Biden’s speech, the US will increase its support for UN-led initiatives to implement a comprehensive ceasefire and continue peace talks, which have been stalled for a long duration.
Biden also confirmed the appointment of Timothy Lenderking as the special envoy to Yemen. Timothy Lenderking is an experienced foreign service member who has served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, as well as other countries in the Middle East region.
