By Samia Nakhoul and Marwa Rashad
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – The vice president of Yemen’s U.N.-recognized government welcomed Donald Trump’s return as U.S. president on Tuesday, saying it was a decisive turning point to curb the Iran-backed Houthis, who according to him, threaten regional stability and maritime security. .
Aidarous al-Zubaidi told Reuters that Trump’s strong leadership and willingness to deploy military force stood in stark contrast to the Biden administration, which he said had allowed the Houthis to consolidate power, strengthen their military capabilities and expand their reach expand beyond Yemen.
“Trump knows what he wants. He is a strong decision maker,” Zubaidi said in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos.
“We are fans, admirers and supporters of Trump’s policies… because he has a personality that has sufficient decision-making power to govern America and the world,” he said, adding that he expected talks with the new administration to begin soon . .
While the Houthis control northwest Yemen, where most of Yemen’s 23 million people live, the rest is in the hands of the Southern Transitional Council, which wants an independent South Yemen and is backed by the United Arab Emirates.
Zubaidi leads the armed group, which has three seats on the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council, the Aden-based coalition government opposing the Houthis.
He said Yemen’s unification remains elusive and called for two states, as was the case before 1990, when South Yemen was separated from North Yemen.
“If we become two countries, the conflict will be resolved,” he said, adding that a coordinated, US-led international, regional and local strategy was needed to attack and weaken the Houthis and halt their attacks on commercial Western to stop ships sailing through the Red Sea. .
The Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with drones and rocket attacks last year in what they said was solidarity with the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Before Trump’s inauguration on Monday, Yemen’s Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said they will limit attacks on the Red Sea to only Israeli-affiliated ships after a ceasefire began in Gaza, but that the attacks could resume if the situation changes.
“We hope America will be motivated to deter the Houthis as they will continue to threaten maritime shipping. They pose the greatest threat. The Houthis are part of an international consortium led by Iran, Russia and China,” Zubaidi said.
The war in Yemen, one of the most impoverished countries in the Middle East, began in 2014, when Houthi fighters overran the capital Sanaa and took over government institutions.
A United Nations peace process to end the war, which caused a serious humanitarian crisis, came to a standstill after the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza began.
The conflict in Yemen has left the Houthis entrenched in the north of the country, where they have set up a mini-state that they rule with support from Tehran.
“This war has cost us a lot. It led to the collapse of the entire economy and a sharp devaluation of the currency. A worker now earns $50-$60 (per month)… Rebuilding Yemen will require hundreds of billions of dollars.” he said.
