Houthi rebels in Yemen have officially announced that they are stopping all missile and drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and the UAE in a statement issued at midnight local time. The Iranian-backed Shiite Houthi movement has said it is ready to accept a general ceasefire if the Sunni Arab-led coalition “ really wants peace „.
The announcement of a unilateral partial truce by the Houthi rebellion is due to the growing military pressure of the coalition forces led by Arabia. A coalition that since the beginning of hostilities in 2015 has gradually taken over all ports in Yemen from the Houthis. Hodeida on the Red Sea, which is the last port available to the rebels, is now threatened by coalition forces that have taken the south and east of the city.
If the harbor fell, the Houthis could no longer stock up. Coalition forces halted their advance in Hodeida a few days ago to formally allow for negotiations and avert a humanitarian tragedy for the trapped population. It remains to be seen whether Riyadh will agree to start peace negotiations because of international pressure. Several Western countries announced the suspension of their arms deliveries to Riyadh after the Khashoggi case , the Saudi journalist killed and dismembered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
