Officials in southern Yemen responded Wednesday to President Donald Trump's declaration of a ceasefire with the Houthis.
The Yemeni Minister of Information from the internationally recognized government said Wednesday morning that "the Houthis have surrendered and been defeated," and called it "an opportunity that must not be missed to regain the initiative and put an end to Houthi arrogance. The national ranks [in Yemen] must be united to advance a comprehensive solution that will restore the state's prestige, stabilize Yemen and prevent Iran from endangering regional security."
Photo: EPA
He clarified that the announcement of halting the military operation against the Houthis, following their surrender and acceptance of US terms to cease terror attacks on international shipping lanes, confirms a clear reality: "The Houthis only understand the language of force."
The senior minister further emphasized that "the Houthis' surrender was not a voluntary choice but the result of painful pressure. The strikes that destroyed command and control centers, arms depots, and ballistic missile and drone facilities were effective. The Houthis' communication systems were paralyzed, and their field commanders were isolated. The deterrence illusion they tried to sell has collapsed."
The Yemeni minister asserted that the Houthis' surrender also signaled a decline in Iran's influence, which supported them and used them as a bargaining chip. "We must read the Houthis' surrender today as a practical admission of defeat and proof of the fragility of their project," the senior official said.
On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump announced that the Houthis would cease attacking vessels in the Red Sea. Oman's Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi also confirmed that under diplomatic understandings between the US and the Houthis, both sides had agreed not to attack one another. According to him, the Houthis also committed not to attack ships in international Red Sea shipping lanes.
However, senior Houthi officials claimed they had only agreed to stop their attacks on the US Navy, and nothing more. Houthi official Mohammed al-Bukhaiti denied that they would halt their terrorist activities altogether. "We stress that we will not commit to stopping our military operations in the Red Sea or against the Zionist entity until our objectives are achieved: ending the aggression on Gaza and lifting the siege," he said.
