Biden's Yemen envoy to visit Gulf after Houthi-claimed UAE attack
In the wake of aerial attacks on United Arab Emirates claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, the US special envoy for Yemen will travel to the Gulf this week.
The US special envoy for Yemen will travel to the Gulf region and London this week in an effort to reinvigorate peace efforts, the State Department said Wednesday.
Timothy Lenderking will “press the parties to de-escalate militarily and seize the new year to participate fully in an inclusive UN-led peace process,” the State Department said.
His visit follows aerial attacks on United Arab Emirates Monday that were claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who said they used missiles and drones on Abu Dhabi’s state-owned oil facility and airport. The Houthi attack, which destroyed several fuel tankers and killed at least three people, was met with retaliatory airstrikes from the Saudi-led military coalition on Tuesday. The coalition strikes on the capital Sanaa killed at least 20 people, including civilians, the Houthis said.
The Iran-backed rebels regularly launch cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia, but Monday’s attack marked the first on Emirati soil acknowledged by the UAE. Several weeks ago, the Houthis seized an Emirati-flagged vessel in the Red Sea.
