Yemen President al‑Alimi vows to protect sovereignty, halt illegal flights

President Rashad al‑Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, held a series of high‑level meetings in Riyadh, including with UN special envoy Hans Grundberg, to discuss reviving the peace process and to condemn Iran‑backed Houthi violations of Yemeni sovereignty. He accused the Houthis of using humanitarian pretexts to further hostile agendas and rejected any flight operations that bypass the state’s exclusive authority.

Al‑Alimi welcomed Jordan’s offer to resume humanitarian flights between Sanaa and Amman, stressing that such initiatives are acceptable only when they respect Yemen’s sovereign rights. He called for the full reopening of Sanaa International Airport without conditions and demanded an end to the “guardianship” arrangement, urging all diplomatic missions to support the government’s effort to restore state institutions and ensure lasting peace.