SANAA, Yemen — Following the fall of al-Jawf province in northern Yemen to the Houthi rebels March 1, attention shifted to the oil-rich province of Marib amid a looming Houthi offensive on the city of Marib. UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths felt the danger and paid a rare visit to the city, raising Houthi ire.

Speaking at a press conference following his meeting with Marib Gov. Sultan al-Arada on March 7, Griffiths said Yemen stands at a critical crossroad, adding, “We will either silence the guns and resume the political process or we will slip back into large-scale conflict and suffering that you have already seen here in Marib.”

In response to Griffiths’ statement, Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam tweeted that the solution in Yemen is “based first on stopping the aggression and lifting the siege, then holding serious political negotiations.” He called on Griffiths to distance himself from the conflict.

Political analyst and Sanaa-based researcher Abdul-Bari Taher said the battle for al-Jawf and Marib provinces is approaching “the point of danger.”