Hostages were taken and demands made.
Houthi rebels have stormed the American embassy in Yemen where they took Yemeni employees of the U.S. government hostage, the State Department has confirmed. As many as 25 hostages were taken by the Iran-backed paramilitary group, although a “majority” has been released, according to the State Department Press Secretary Ned Price.
Houthi fighters took the compound on Wednesday, demanding “large quantities of equipment and materials.”
Yemen has been embroiled in a brutal civil war between the Houthi rebels, who are backed, financed, and armed by the Iranian government, and the standing Yemeni government, which has the support of Saudi Arabia. The conflict is often described as a “proxy war” being fought on behalf of the larger powers.
The Houthis had been on the terrorist list of President Trump’s administration, but President Joe Biden removed them from that designation within a month of taking office.
Press Secretary Price said, “We call on the Houthis to immediately vacate it [the embassy compound] and return all seized property. The U.S. government will continue its diplomatic efforts to secure the release of our staff and the vacating of our compound, including through our international partners.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For the safety of the employees of the U.S. embassy in Yemen.
- For U.S. officials as they work diplomatically and politically with Iran and Yemen.
- For a resolution to the proxy war between the Houthi rebels and the standing government of Yemen.
- For the president and his administration as they address the aggressions of Iran.
Sources: National Review, Washington Post, U.S. News
