Houthis terms in exchange for stopping the war, $51 billion and recognition as Yemen's government

In a major blow to the hopes of peace in West Asia, Yemen's Houthi rebels have put such conditions in front of Saudi Arabia in exchange for stopping the war, which has given Riyadh sleepless. Iran-backed Houthi rebels have demanded a compensation of $ 51 billion (about Rs 4.2 lakh crore) from Saudi Arabia to end the war and ceasefire for years. Apart from this, they have also put a condition that Saudi Arabia accepts the Houthis as the real government of Yemen.

It all started when the Houthis attacked Saudi oil ships in the Red Sea and captured the 'Bab al-Mandeb' strait. Only then did Saudi Arabia reach out to the Houthis to talk peace. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Houthis say that this huge amount of $51 billion is needed as compensation for the bombing and economic blockade carried out by the Saudis for years. The Houthis stand is clear that the price of any agreement will have to be paid by the Saudis for several billion dollars. The biggest concern for Riyadh is to recognize an Iranian-backed armed adversary on its southern border as the ruler of Yemen.

The Houthis are targeting Saudi Arabia daily

This new twist in the case has come at a time when violence in Yemen has once again become uncontrollable this year. In the month of October, the Houthis have carried out almost daily attacks on Saudi Arabia's oil bases and airports. Even within Yemen, the Houthis are moving fast. They have reached just 50 miles from the internationally recognized and Saudi-backed capital of Yemen, Aden, which is their closest presence since 2015. On October 31, the Houthis also fired two missiles at the presidential palace in Aden. At the same time, 75 people were killed and more than 200 were injured in a Houthi attack on a possible Saudi military base in Shabwa province, which was the deadliest attack since the war resumed.

Crown Prince wants to strengthen his position.

Saudi Arabia is responding with frequent air strikes, but Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman does not want to bow down to compromise without strengthening his position in the war. There is also a big fear in the mind of the Crown Prince, who is running the country in the name of 90-year-old King Salman. He feels that sending more troops to Yemen can cause heavy losses to the Saudi army. This can provoke anger among the people of the country. In fact, the Saudi government has so far hidden the information of dozens of its soldiers killed from the public.

allies are not helping the Saudis

The crisis for Saudi Arabia has also deepened because it is not able to get any concrete military help from its allies. The United Arab Emirates (UAE), once a key ally of Saudi, withdrew from the coalition in December last year after differences, as the UAE supports the factions that make South Yemen a separate country, while the Saudis want to keep the whole of Yemen united. Riyadh had sought help under the 'Mecca Pact' with Türkiye and Pakistan, but Türkiye's parliament has not approved it and Pakistan has categorically denied carrying out attacks inside Yemen.

Disclaimers