The conflict began in 2014, when Houthi fighters swept into the capital, Sana, and took over state institutions. The years of war that followed pushed the country into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises and left the Houthis entrenched in power in northern Yemen, where they have created an impoverished quasi-state that they rule with an iron fist.
Over the past two years, the fighting had largely quieted.
Saudi Arabia, which borders Yemen to the north, began direct talks with the Houthis in an effort to extract itself from the war, and diplomatic moves to resolve the conflict intensified.
In late December, the United Nations special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, announced that the rival parties had taken a significant step toward ending the war. At the time, the Houthis had already started attacking ships in the Red Sea. But inside the country, a de facto truce had taken hold, and the Houthis had committed to steps that could eventually lead to a lasting peace, Mr. Grundberg said at the time.
“Thirty million Yemenis are watching and waiting for this new opportunity,” he said.
Officials could issue an additional license that would facilitate the payment of the salaries if the Houthis pursue the path of peace, he added. If they do, the United States is willing to reconsider the designation altogether, the official added.
But so far, the Houthis have shown little interest in stopping their attacks.
The Houthis “will confront the American-British escalation with escalation,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, said on the social media platform X.
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