Yemeni Foreign Minister at 'Manama Dialogue': "No Sustainable Regional Security Without a Safe and Stable Yemen" … "Houthis' Siege of Taiz Is a War Crime"

Manama, Bahrain

Dr. Afrah Abdulaziz Al-Zouba, Yemen's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, stated on October 31 (local time) at the second plenary session of the 'Manama Dialogue 2026,' organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Manama, Bahrain, that sustainable regional security cannot be achieved without a safe and stable Yemen. According to a press release of her speech published on the official X account of Yemen's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates that day, Minister Al-Zouba stated during the session themed 'The Foundations of Regional Security' that supporting the restoration of Yemeni state institutions and strengthening their capabilities is a shared responsibility and a pillar for regional security and the protection of international navigation, sequentially citing weapons smuggling by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, the siege of Taiz, and attacks on Aden airport.

According to the agenda released by the IISS, the second plenary session took place on October 31 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Al Noor Ballroom in Manama, moderated by Lord Sedwill, Chairman of the IISS Board of Trustees, with Minister Al-Zouba, Asaad Al-Shaibani, Syria's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), participating as speakers. The Yemeni Foreign Ministry referred to this session as the 'Third Plenary.' According to the Yemeni Foreign Ministry, Minister Al-Zouba arrived at Bahrain International Airport the previous day on October 30 and was received by Ambassador Yusuf Abdulkarim Bucheeri, Director General of Legal Affairs and Human Rights at the Bahraini Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ali Al-Ahmadi, Yemeni Ambassador to Bahrain.

"Aftermath of Coup Extends Beyond Yemen's Borders to Neighboring Security, Navigation, and International Interests"

In her speech on October 31, Minister Al-Zouba stated, "The repercussions of the coup against the state have extended beyond Yemen's borders to the security of neighboring countries, navigation, and international interests, which requires translating solidarity into practical measures that address the roots of threats and establish sustainable stability." Minister Al-Zouba laid out four foundations for sustainable regional security: respecting national sovereignty and strengthening the effectiveness of state institutions; prioritizing diplomacy and dialogue in managing regional conflicts; a comprehensive security concept encompassing economic stability, energy and food security, protection of civilians and vital facilities, and countering terrorism and smuggling; and protecting maritime corridors and international trade routes. Underscoring the importance of preventive diplomacy and regional mechanisms based on non-interference and good neighborliness, Minister Al-Zouba stated that any path regarding Yemen must be led by the Yemeni state, adhere to Yemeni sovereignty and the agreed references for a solution, and lead to the restoration of state institutions and the state's monopoly on weapons, requiring an end to attacks and the enforcement of the arms embargo.

The Yemeni Embassy in Pakistan also posted the contents of Minister Al-Zouba's speech in English on its official X account on the same day, reporting: "Restoring Yemeni state institutions is a shared responsibility, and there can be no sustainable regional security without a safe and stable Yemen."

"UN Panel of Experts: Houthis Received Weapons and Funds from Iran, Iraqi Armed Groups, and Hezbollah"

In her speech on October 31, Minister Al-Zouba stated that external interference and support for armed groups that challenge the authority of the state undermine prospects for stability, citing the 2024 report by the UN Panel of Experts. Minister Al-Zouba noted that this report documented the Houthi militia receiving weapons, technical support, training, and financial backing from Iran, Iraqi armed groups, and Hezbollah. She emphasized that navigational security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait cannot be separated from Yemen's stability, and that coastal security begins with security on land. Minister Al-Zouba stressed that protecting maritime corridors requires addressing the root causes of threats, cutting off the inflow of weapons, funds, and expertise, countering smuggling networks, and enhancing the capabilities of coastal states while respecting their sovereignty.

Minister Al-Zouba also addressed the nexus between armed groups and organized crime networks. Pointing out that the 2025 report of the UN Panel of Experts included information on expanding cooperation between the Houthis and the Somali militant group Al-Shabaab in weapons smuggling, training, and the exchange of military expertise, she called for strengthening intelligence sharing, cutting off funding sources, and monitoring cross-border transit routes of weapons and expertise.

"Taiz Blockade Is a War Crime"... UN Requested to Investigate Shells Suspected of Containing Toxic Substances

In her speech on October 31, Minister Al-Zouba characterized the Houthi militia's siege of Taiz as a "war crime," stating that the population's need for food, medicine, and fuel is being weaponized as a tool of pressure and political blackmail. Minister Al-Zouba demanded the immediate lifting of the blockade and the permanent, safe opening of roads. She requested UN support for an urgent investigation into field reports concerning the use of shells suspected of containing toxic substances, stating that protecting civilians and cities is a pillar of regional security and that repeated attacks on Aden airport threaten civil aviation safety and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

The Embassy of Yemen in the United States also reported through its official X account on October 31 that more than 1.3 million residents in Taiz are suffering from the Houthi siege, with food, water, and fuel supplies plummeting and hospitals enduring severe shortages of life-saving resources.

The Yemeni government raised the same issue a day earlier on October 30 during the debate on the annual report of the Human Rights Council at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly held at UN Headquarters in New York. The Permanent Mission of Yemen to the United Nations stated through its official X account that Ambassador Abdullah Al-Saadi called on the international community during the debate to support the restoration of state institutions and the achievement of sustainable peace based on Resolution 2216, highlighting the Houthis' siege of Taiz and attacks on civilian infrastructure. According to a UN meeting press release, the Yemeni representative condemned the escalating missile and drone attacks by Houthi forces against civilians and infrastructure, citing repeated strikes against Aden International Airport and the Presidential Palace, and stressed that "these attacks are not isolated incidents, but part of a systematic military escalation targeting state institutions and civilian facilities."

According to the Yemeni Foreign Ministry's X account, the Yemeni Cabinet condemned in a statement the same day that the Houthi militia attacked the government compound at Maasheeq Palace in Aden for the second time and Aden International Airport for the seventh time, while concurrently attempting an attack targeting Mecca, and announced that it would take practical measures including safeguarding facilities, tightening security preparedness, and expanding inter-agency coordination. The Yemeni government also expressed its full solidarity with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in confronting threats.

In a letter addressed to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Yemen on October 30, the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates called for urgent action, stating that the Houthi militia has been planting anti-personnel landmines "intensively and indiscriminately" across several governorates. The ministry noted that the Houthis have laid mines and camouflaged explosive devices in mountainous heights, side roads, and homes of displaced persons in rural Taiz Governorate, resulting in civilian casualties, including women and children, on an "almost daily" basis, with children topping the casualty lists while tending livestock, playing, or moving about. The ministry stressed that support for the national mine action program is essential for Yemen to fulfill its obligations under the 1997 Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (Ottawa Convention).

"Weapons and Decisions on War and Peace Belong in State Hands"..."Not Asking Anyone to Fight on Our Behalf"

In her speech on October 31, Minister Al-Zouba stated that addressing the root causes of threats requires ending the coup, restoring state institutions to establish state authority, and preserving Yemen's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity in accordance with the three agreed references: the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its implementation mechanism, the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, and UN Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 2216. Minister Al-Zouba affirmed that decisions regarding weapons and war and peace must be confined to the state, preventing Yemen's strategic location, land, coasts, and islands from being used to threaten neighboring states and international navigation or to serve external agendas.

In Resolution 2216, adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter on April 14, 2015, by 14 votes in favor with 1 abstention (Russia), the UN Security Council demanded that the Houthis "immediately and unconditionally" end the use of violence, withdraw their forces from all areas they had seized, including the capital Sana'a, relinquish all weapons seized from military and security institutions, including missile systems, and cease all actions falling exclusively within the authority of the legitimate Government of Yemen. The resolution also demanded that the Houthis refrain from any provocation or threats to neighboring states, including through the acquisition of surface-to-surface missiles, and end the recruitment and use of children; imposed a targeted arms embargo against former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Houthi leader Abdulmalik al-Houthi, and others; and called upon Member States, particularly neighboring countries of Yemen, to inspect cargo bound for Yemen. Resolution 2216 called upon all Yemeni parties to adhere to the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the Comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, and relevant Security Council resolutions.

Minister Al-Zouba stated, "The Yemeni government is continuing the struggle to reclaim the state and is not asking anyone to fight on its behalf." Minister Al-Zouba said that the government counts on the support of its partners, the capacity-building of state institutions, the enforcement of the arms embargo, and the disruption of weapon flows to the militias, adding that a stable Yemen will once again serve as a strategic depth for brotherly nations in the Arab and regional spheres, and as a partner safeguarding regional security, navigation, and international trade. Minister Al-Zouba concluded her address by declaring that Yemenis, in defending their state, are defending regional security, its corridors, and world commerce.

Ambassador Marwan Ali Noman, Political Advisor to the Yemeni Foreign Minister, also stated in an interview with the American foreign policy magazine 'Foreign Policy,' highlighted on the Yemeni Foreign Ministry's official X account on October 30, that "the Houthi danger is not limited to Yemenis alone," stressing that the threat extends beyond Yemen to the region and the world.

U.S. Assistant Secretary Blome Reaffirms to Minister Al-Zouba: "Houthis Are a Foreign Terrorist Organization"

On the first day of the conference, October 30, Minister Al-Zouba held talks in Manama with Donald Blome, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. According to a meeting press release published by the Yemeni Foreign Ministry on its official X account, Assistant Secretary Blome stated that the United States designates the Houthi militia as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Yemeni government and its institutions in a manner that bolsters Yemen's security and stability. Minister Al-Zouba highlighted the military escalation by the Houthi militia, the siege of Taiz, and repeated strikes against Aden International Airport, calling for the international community's position in support of the Yemeni government to be translated into tangible measures to end the coup and restore state institutions.

U.S. Department of State Designates Houthis as 'Foreign Terrorist Organization' Following President Trump's Pledge

The United States designated the Houthis as a terrorist organization shortly after the inauguration of the Trump administration. In a statement on March 4, 2025, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that "today, the U.S. Department of State is fulfilling one of the first promises that President Trump made upon taking office" by designating Ansarallah, commonly known as the Houthis, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Secretary Rubio cited President Trump's remark in Executive Order 14175 that "the Houthis' activities threaten the security of American civilians and personnel in the Middle East, the safety of our closest regional partners, and the stability of global maritime trade." Secretary Rubio stated that "since 2023, the Houthis have launched hundreds of attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and against the brave men and women of our military who are defending freedom of navigation and our regional partners," adding that "the United States will not tolerate any nation that engages with a terrorist organization like the Houthis under the pretext of legitimate international business." The U.S. Department of State implemented the designation pursuant to Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act and posted a reward of up to $15 million through the 'Rewards for Justice' program for information leading to the disruption of Ansarallah's financial mechanisms.

Sources (KST)

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen post on X (@yemen_mofa, Manama Dialogue Address, October 31, 2026): https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2116474290736341121
• Embassy of Yemen in Pakistan post on X (@YemenEmbassyPk, October 31, 2026): https://x.com/YemenEmbassyPk/status/2116483962604535932
• Embassy of Yemen in the United States post on X (@YemenEmbassy_DC, Taiz Blockade, October 31, 2026): https://x.com/YemenEmbassy_DC/status/2116489835602972864
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen post on X (@yemen_mofa, Minister's Arrival in Bahrain, October 30, 2026): https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2116134768962044372
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen post on X (@yemen_mofa, Meeting with Assistant Secretary Blome, October 30, 2026): https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2116229355114471906
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen post on X (@yemen_mofa, Letter to UNDP on Landmines, October 30, 2026): https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2116132295836934468
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Yemen post on X (@yemen_mofa, Yemeni Cabinet Statement, October 30, 2026): https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2116267479680909400
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Yemen post on X (@yemen_mofa, Interview with Advisor Noman, October 30, 2026): https://x.com/yemen_mofa/status/2116230255828513112
• Permanent Mission of Yemen to the United Nations post on X (@YemenMissionNY, UN General Assembly Debate, October 30, 2026): https://x.com/YemenMissionNY/status/2116263884789100547
• UN Meeting Press Release GA/12803 "Speakers Urge Greater Action to Make People Safer, Strengthen Their Freedoms, as General Assembly Considers Human Rights Council's Annual Report" (October 30, 2026): https://press.un.org/en/2026/ga12803.doc.htm
• The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), UK, "IISS Manama Dialogue 2026 – Speaker Agenda": https://www.iiss.org/events/manama-dialogue/manama-dialogue-2026/speaker-agenda/
• The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), UK, "Second Plenary: The Foundations of Regional Security" (October 31, 2026): https://www.iiss.org/events/manama-dialogue/manama-dialogue-2026/plenary-sessions/second-plenary/
• U.S. Department of State, "Designation of Ansarallah as a Foreign Terrorist Organization" (March 4, 2025): https://www.state.gov/designation-of-ansarallah-as-a-foreign-terrorist-organization
• UN Security Council Resolution 2216 (April 14, 2015): https://press.un.org/en/2015/sc11859.doc.htm