The administration of outgoing US President Joe Biden has been making attempts in recent days to force the Houthis to abandon attacks on Israel, offering to allow international mediation to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, but the Houthis are refusing these proposals and in return are threatening to intensify attacks on Israel. This was reported on Friday, January 3, by the Lebanese publication Al-Akhbar.
The publication cites sources close to the leadership in Sanaa who reported the resumption of Omani mediation: this was the reason for the visit of Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Basaidi to Tehran. Oman is seeking to create a framework to advance the Yemen agreement, which the Biden administration desperately needs for a graceful exit from the White House on January 20.
However, sources in Sanaa say: “Our position on Gaza is non-negotiable and remains unchanged, as it was a year ago.” They also point out that Washington’s attempts to pursue diplomatic options through Iran are an attempt to prove the lack of independence of the Houthi movement.
All this comes as the Houthis are preparing for a large-scale escalation: Ansar Allah threatens Israel with “much more significant attacks than in the past” and claims to have increased its military capabilities fivefold compared to previous years, creating reserve forces 600 thousand fighters.