[25/09/2026 04:26]

NEW YORK-SABA

Presidential Leadership Council Member Dr. Abdullah al-Alimi Baawizer met with Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmi in New York on Thursday to discuss developments in Yemen and the region, challenges to Arab national security, and ways to strengthen joint Arab action in confronting external interference and threats to regional stability.

Al-Alimi congratulated Fahmi on assuming his post and expressed appreciation for the Arab League’s role in defending Arab causes and interests. He said he looked forward to working with him to keep the Yemen issue high on the Arab agenda and support Yemen’s return to an active role in its Arab regional environment.

The meeting addressed Yemen’s political, security and military developments, particularly the continued escalation by Iran-backed Houthi militias and its security, economic and humanitarian consequences. Al-Alimi also highlighted the threats posed to neighboring countries, the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and international maritime traffic.

He said Yemen demonstrates the dangers of Iranian interference in Arab affairs through the arming, financing and support of militias operating outside state institutions. He noted that continued Iranian military, financial and technical support for the Houthis, along with the smuggling of weapons, components, technology and military expertise, has enabled the militia to expand its capabilities and extend its threats beyond Yemen to neighboring countries and international waterways.

Al-Alimi called for a more coordinated and effective Arab position toward Iranian interference and support for armed militias, stressing the need to uphold state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs. He also called for rejecting the use of militias as instruments for pursuing external agendas at the expense of state institutions, the interests of Arab peoples and regional security.

He stressed that the security of the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and Gulf of Aden is an integral part of Arab national security, saying recent developments have shown that the security of these waterways cannot be treated as a separate Yemeni issue. Rather, it is directly linked to the security and economic and strategic interests of Arab countries.

Al-Alimi said sustainable security in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab depends on supporting the Yemeni state and strengthening its ability to exercise sovereignty, maintain a state monopoly on arms and control decisions of war and peace. He also stressed the importance of enabling Yemen to protect its coastline, ports and territorial waters, describing support for state institutions as a direct contribution to Arab national security and the protection of vital maritime routes and shared interests.

For his part, the Arab League secretary-general reaffirmed the League’s firm support for the Presidential Leadership Council, the Yemeni government and state institutions. He rejected attempts to impose realities by force or undermine the authority of the state and its institutions, and condemned the Houthi military escalation and its threats to Yemen, neighboring countries, the Red Sea and international shipping.

Fahmi also underscored the importance of continued Arab coordination and joint action in supporting Yemen and its national institutions and addressing challenges threatening regional security and stability, while safeguarding the sovereignty of Arab states and the interests of their peoples.

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