Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi, has called on the international community to form an effective global coalition to restore security and stability in Yemen, rebuild state institutions, and complete the liberation of the country from the Houthis and other Iran-backed extremist groups.
Addressing the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Al-Alimi said the time has come for collective and decisive action to “impose peace” in Yemen, stressing that years of conflict management and incentive-based approaches have only led to more suffering and destruction, while allowing the Houthi group to expand its military arsenal.
He warned that the Houthis are no longer a local rebellion but a transnational terrorist organization seeking to implement an Iranian project that threatens regional security and international shipping. The group, he noted, now possesses ballistic missiles, drones, explosive-laden boats, naval mines, and internationally banned weapons—turning the Red Sea and vital waterways into hostages of this growing threat.
Al-Alimi argued that Yemen has become a real test of the international system’s credibility and its ability to uphold law and protect peoples’ rights. “Peace cannot be begged for; it must be imposed by force,” he asserted, if the militias persist in their intransigence and threats to regional and global security.
On the Arab front, Al-Alimi reiterated Yemen’s full support for the Palestinian National Authority and the two-state solution in line with international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative. He praised the growing wave of international recognition of the State of Palestine and extended special appreciation to Saudi Arabia for its diplomatic efforts—together with France—to achieve unprecedented political gains for the Palestinian cause.
He also commended the Saudi- and UAE-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy, noting that it not only prevented the collapse of the Yemeni state but also saved the region from falling under Iran’s influence, providing a practical model of strategic partnership built on both development and security.
Al-Alimi urged UN member states to move beyond statements to concrete action by launching an international coalition to eradicate terrorism in Yemen and rebuild the state—an effort he said is vital for the stability of the region and the world. “Leaving Yemen prey to extortion and terrorism,” he warned, “means opening the door to more victims and striking at the heart of the international system’s credibility.”
Speaking earlier at a Council on Foreign Relations roundtable in New York, Al-Alimi described the Houthis as “an Iranian investment aimed at dominating the region” and said government forces, which control about 70% of Yemeni territory, are “ready to wage a ground war if necessary.”
He highlighted the dire humanitarian situation, noting that “about 20 million Yemenis live below the poverty line, and around five million are displaced,” adding, “Without Saudi Arabia, all of Yemen would have fallen under Houthi control.”
Al-Alimi emphasized that lasting peace with the Houthis is tied to Iran’s regional agenda and expressed his gratitude to former U.S. President Donald Trump for re-designating the group as a terrorist organization, calling it a “historic decision.”
