Abdullah Ali Fadhel Al-Saadi, Permanent Representative of Yemen to the United Nations — Statement at the UN Security Council on the Situation in the Middle East (Yemen)
16 June 2026
Madam President,
At the outset, allow me to congratulate you on assuming the Presidency of the Security Council for this month. I also wish to congratulate the Permanent Representative of China for his stewardship of the Council’s work during the previous month.
I thank Special Envoy Hans Grundberg and Under-Secretary-General Tom Fletcher for their briefings.
Just a few days ago marked two years since the arbitrary detention by the Houthi militias, backed by the Iranian regime, of dozens of staff members from the United Nations, international organizations, diplomatic missions and civil society organizations. This constitutes an unprecedented violation of international humanitarian law.
While reiterating its full solidarity with the humanitarian and human rights communities, the Government of Yemen stands ready to do whatever it takes to secure the release of all those detained and forcibly disappeared in Houthi prisons. We call upon this Council to maintain pressure until they are released unconditionally.
This occasion reminds us not only of the suffering of these innocent individuals, but also of a fundamental truth that must not be overlooked in any discussion regarding Yemen: the very group detaining UN staff for carrying out humanitarian work is the same militia with whom the international community has long urged us to negotiate.
Madam President,
Recent developments in the region have demonstrated that the crisis in Yemen is not merely an internal conflict, but an open confrontation with a subversive agenda that directly threatens regional and international security.
The Houthi militias are no longer simply a rebel group that staged a coup against the national consensus and legitimate state institutions. They have transformed into the military arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. They utilize Yemeni territory to threaten regional states, target international shipping and hold the global economy hostage, all in an attempt to improve their sponsors’ negotiating position, with no regard for the interests of the Yemeni people.
These militias have repeatedly demonstrated their subservience to the Iranian regime’s agenda, culminating in their recent declaration to join in the defense of that regime and its allies. This confirms that a cherished part of our land has effectively become a launch pad for a cross-border regional agenda, a reality that compels the international community to address these facts responsibly and firmly.
The Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni Government reiterate their sincere commitment to peace and their full support for all regional and international efforts to end the war, particularly the efforts of the UN Special Envoy, based on the agreed terms of reference, especially Security Council Resolution 2216.
However, experience over recent years has shown that sustainable peace is not achieved through a ceasefire alone, nor by power-sharing arrangements between the state and militias. Rather, it requires a state that holds a monopoly on arms and force, exercises sovereignty over its entire territory, and prevents that territory from being used to threaten neighboring countries, international waterways, supply chains and international peace and security.
Accordingly, the Republic of Yemen stresses that containing regional escalation cannot be achieved merely by managing its consequences. It requires addressing the primary root cause: the continued existence of rogue terrorist militias that challenge the state’s exclusive authority and usurp decisions on war and peace in service of a foreign agenda.
Guided by this commitment, the Yemeni Government has acted with a high sense of responsibility and made efforts that led to the recent agreement on the exchange of detainees. We believe that reuniting Yemeni families represents a victory for humanitarian values beyond being a political achievement.
We express our sincere appreciation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, the Sultanate of Oman, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and all those who contributed to this agreement.
At the same time, we emphasize the importance of not relying on the pledges of the Houthi militias without guarantees and sustained international pressure. We must ensure that this humanitarian achievement does not become yet another instance of delay and obstruction, as occurred with previous commitments.
Madam President,
While the Houthi militias continue to profit from the war, the Yemeni Government, with the generous support of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is pressing ahead with a comprehensive program of economic and institutional reforms.
We are promoting good governance, improving services, combating terrorism, smuggling and organized crime, and strengthening state institutions in the liberated governorates.
The Government also continues to address economic and humanitarian challenges despite the ongoing suspension of oil exports caused by Houthi terrorist attacks. These attacks have deprived the state of its most important sovereign revenue source—funds intended primarily to alleviate the impact of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
In this regard, we reiterate our profound gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its steadfast support of the Yemeni people and their political leadership, including its recent grant of fuel derivatives, which will help alleviate suffering and improve essential services, particularly electricity.
Over recent months, the Yemeni Government has demonstrated its ability to contain complex internal challenges, preserve national institutions and continue implementing the requirements of the transitional phase, including the unification of military and security command structures.
It has also shown unwavering commitment to addressing the southern issue through inclusive dialogue sponsored by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and aimed at meeting legitimate aspirations through equitable partnership.
Throughout this period, the Government has exercised restraint and repeatedly offered opportunities to resolve internal disputes through dialogue, turn the page on the past and focus on restoring state institutions and building the future that all Yemenis deserve.
However, certain leaders and factions have chosen to continue undermining state institutions, obstructing national and international obligations and impeding the Government’s work. They have supported armed groups that threaten civil peace and jeopardize the transitional process and the constructive efforts supported by this Council.
The Yemeni Government therefore reminds this Council of recent political and military maneuvers and ongoing unilateral actions that threaten Yemen’s unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as national peace and security.
These actions run counter to Security Council Resolutions 2140 and 2216 and violate the internationally supported terms of reference for a political settlement.
The Government calls upon the Security Council to continue warning all parties about the dangers posed by these actions and to enforce relevant resolutions against any individuals or entities proven to be undermining the political process or threatening peace and stability in Yemen.
It further urges the Council to update sanctions lists whenever warranted and include those involved in sabotage, obstruction of the political process or attempts to impose unilateral measures by force.
Madam President,
Yemen does not ask the international community to fight its battles on its behalf.
Rather, it seeks clear support for its people’s aspirations for security, stability, peace and development, for the restoration of national institutions, for the state’s authority over its entire territory and for the elimination of all forms of non-state weaponry.
Security in the Red Sea begins on Yemeni soil, and the protection of international navigation starts with supporting the Yemeni state—not merely managing the consequences of its destabilization.
The longer the international community delays addressing the source of the threat, the higher the cost of safeguarding regional and international security becomes.
In conclusion, we renew our call for this Council to adopt a firmer stance regarding continued Iranian interference in Yemeni affairs and to cut off sources of funding and armament to the militias.
This is the most direct path to achieving lasting peace—not only in Yemen, but throughout the entire region.
Thank you, Madam President.