In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Yemen's Deputy Head of the Presidential Leadership Council, Maj Gen Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, called on Western nations to bolster efforts in combating the Houthi threat in the Red Sea. He emphasized the importance of supplementing the existing US-led air campaign with ground forces, arms, training, and intelligence sharing.

Gen Zoubaidi expressed concerns about the limitations of an air campaign unsupported by sufficient ground forces, citing the Houthis' expertise in dealing with airstrikes over the past decade. He emphasized that airstrikes alone are insufficient, as the Houthis have established underground storage systems for their artillery.

To address these concerns, Yemen is organizing meetings to request the expansion and coordination of operations and strikes with the US to ensure their effectiveness and comprehensiveness. Gen Zoubaidi stressed the need for military equipment, capacity building, training for ground forces, and strong intelligence sharing to make joint assessments of the impact of US-led airstrikes.

The urgency of this call for support was underscored on Monday, as explosions were heard near Hodeidah airport, and a Houthi missile struck a US-owned cargo ship near Aden.

However, Gen Zoubaidi's request for Western forces to engage in a ground operation against the Houthis may raise concerns about regional military escalation. Some Western capitals are still holding out hope that missile strikes alone will be enough to degrade the Houthi's capacity to threaten commercial shipping in the region.

In addition to seeking military support, Gen Zoubaidi challenged the Houthi claim that their attacks on Red Sea shipping are solely aimed at Israeli-linked traffic and in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. He identified the Houthis as tools of Iran in the region, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Gen Zoubaidi stressed that Iran seeks to establish itself as the primary actor in the region, projecting influence through operations in Lebanon and the Bab al-Mandab strait.

The deputy head of the Presidential Leadership Council also highlighted the negative impact of Houthi actions on the Yemeni people, particularly on food security. Over 80% of food and medicine coming to Yemen, especially in the southern region, are affected by the conflict. If the international community does not respond strongly to the Houthi's actions, Zoubaidi warned of potential threats to other vital navigation routes.

Gen Zoubaidi further mentioned that talks on a peace plan to end the civil war in Yemen have reached a standstill. He stated that the de facto ceasefire between Houthi forces and the UN-recognized government is non-existent, with the Houthis using drones intensively on a daily basis. This development reflects Saudi Arabia's eagerness to focus on economic reforms and find an exit from Yemen since its intervention in 2015.

In conclusion, Gen Zoubaidi asserted that poor past diplomatic choices by the West have had consequences, particularly with regard to the conflict in Yemen. He highlighted the missed opportunity in 2018, where pressure on Saudi Arabia to end its offensive on Hodeidah prevented the liberation of the port, ultimately prolonging the threat to freedom of navigation. He criticized the Houthis as an extremist terrorist group that rejects building a state and disdains human rights and plurality.

As Yemen seeks greater international support to confront the Houthi threat, the situation remains complex, and the resolution of the conflict appears uncertain.