Yemen's Al-Alimi rules out new ceasefire with Houthis, vows retaliation

ADEN, Yemen — Rashad al-Alimi, chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said there is no prospect for a new ceasefire with the Houthi movement and that his government will respond to all Houthi attacks. In remarks to the press, al-Alimi argued that any fresh truce would repeat the failures of previous agreements and reiterated his support for a lasting peace built on a state that monopolizes arms and sovereignty. Al-Alimi said the door remains open for the Houthis to lay down their weapons and take part in rebuilding the country, adding that the armed forces stand ready to defend the Yemeni people. He rejected any contradiction between deterrence and the pursuit of peace, accusing the group of channeling all available resources, including the port of Hodeidah, into military buildup. On the southern question, al-Alimi described it as a legitimate cause rooted in long-standing grievances that had been postponed by the war, calling for a political framework to address it. Separately, government forces said they struck Houthi gathering sites in the Kaatbe area of the northern al-Dhale governorate with drones, killing several Houthi fighters, and reported downing four Houthi drones in the northern Ma'rib governorate. No further details were immediately available.