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U.A.E. Tells Iran-Backed Yemen Rebels It’s Time to End the War

U.A.E said its military draw-down from Yemen should be seen by Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a “critical opportunity” to end war.

U.A.E. Tells Iran-Backed Yemen Rebels It’s Time to End the War
Yemeni government tank and truck-mounted guns operate near the front line in the battle against Houthi rebels in the mountainous region outside Sana’a, Yemen. (Photographer: Glen Carey/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- The United Arab Emirates said its military draw-down from Yemen should be seen by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels as a “critical opportunity” to end the war with the Saudi-led coalition.

“The Yemeni parties -- the Houthis specifically -- should see this move for what it is: a confidence-building measure to create new momentum to end the conflict,” Anwar Gargash, minister of state for foreign affairs, wrote in an article in the Washington Post on Tuesday.

The U.A.E. is scaling back its military role in the four-year war that has failed to dislodge Iran-backed Houthi rebels from the capital Sana’a and led to a humanitarian disaster that has pushed the country to the verge of famine. The coalition blames Iran for supplying the Houthis with increasingly sophisticated weapons that helped them launch attacks on vital infrastructure targets in Saudi Arabia.

The move won’t leave Yemen with a security vacuum and the U.A.E.’s military presence will remain, Gargash wrote. “We will continue to advise and assist local Yemeni forces,” He said. “We will respond to attacks against the coalition and against neighboring states.”

To contact the reporter on this story: Abbas Al Lawati in Dubai at aallawati6@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Shaji Mathew at shajimathew@bloomberg.net, Alaa Shahine, Claudia Maedler

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