MESOP NEWS TOP OF THE AGENDA : Mattis, Pompeo Call for Yemen Cease-Fire

Top Trump administration officials called for a cease-fire in Yemen within thirty days, as well as for peace talks mediated by the UN special envoy to resume next month.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told a Washington audience yesterday that the warring parties have to “move toward a peace effort” (Al Jazeera) and that he believes U.S. allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are ready to take part in negotiations (Guardian). In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Houthi rebels to cease strikes on Saudi Arabia and subsequently for the Saudi-led coalition to cease its air strikes. The coalition, which receives U.S. support, has sought to restore exiled Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power. More than ten thousand people have been killed in the conflict and many more are at risk of famine.

ANALYSIS

“The Saudis are essentially caught in a war that is unwinnable. The Houthi army really just needs to hang on to fight the Saudis to a standstill to win this conflict—and that’s precisely what they’ve been doing,” CFR’s Steven A. Cook said in an interview with KCBS.

“The Saudi-led coalition on the one hand and Iran on the other have their own regional agendas—neither of which includes bringing stability to Yemen. These actors are investing in war, and if the war stops it would represent a loss for both sides,” Ahmad Nagi writes for the Carnegie Middle East Center.

CFR’s Global Conflict Tracker follows recent developments in the war in Yemen