Pompeo: Houthis Should Know they Cannot Win in Yemen
Pompeo: Houthis Should Know they Cannot Win in Yemen
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that the Iran-backed Houthi militias cannot win in Yemen.
He explained that the militias do not operate without receiving directions from Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei and Commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Qassem Soleimani,
During his visit to Jerusalem, Pompeo told Al Arabiya television: “We’re very hopeful that this pressure will convince the Houthis that they need to return to the political table, they need to have a discussion, they cannot win this militarily, and we’re determined to ensure that order is restored in Yemen.”
He is expected Friday in Lebanon, where Hezbollah, listed by the US as a terrorist group, is part of the government.
“Hezbollah constitutes a threat to stability in the Middle East,” Pompeo said, adding that he held talks in Israel concerning groups backed by Iran.
“We want good things for the people of Lebanon. It was once a truly proud successful economic powerhouse. It can be that again. It can’t do so with terrorists as part of their government,” he stressed.
During Pompeo’s visit to Jerusalem, Israel conveyed a warning to the US official explaining Tel Aviv’s fears from becoming, again, the core focus of Hezbollah, which is now reducing its presence in Syria.
Israeli President Reuben Rivlin discussed Lebanon with Pompeo on Thursday.
Rivlin said Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri “cannot say to anyone that Lebanon is separate from Hezbollah.”
“If some(thing) will happen from Lebanon toward Israel, we will hold Lebanon as the responsible (party)”, Rivlin said.
He said Israel is concerned by what the Iranians are doing in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
Source: A Awsat
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