The United Arab Emirates welcomed the recent announcement by the Sultanate of Oman regarding the successful establishment of a ceasefire agreement. This development is expected to enhance the protection of maritime navigation and international commerce in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while also promoting opportunities for peaceful dialogue in Yemen to address the regional disputes. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its support for all diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving security, peace, and stability both in the region and globally.
Last Tuesday, the Omani Foreign Ministry revealed that it had successfully brokered a ceasefire agreement between the United States and the Houthi militia to ease tensions.
A spokesperson for the Omani Ministry stated that recent communications with both the United States and the Houthis had led to this ceasefire agreement.
The Omani Foreign Ministry confirmed that, moving forward, neither side would target the other, including American vessels in the Red Sea and at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, ensuring the freedom of navigation and smooth operation of international shipping.
This successful mediation by Oman comes amidst efforts to alleviate tensions that have imposed a heavy toll on the Yemeni population.
High Costs
Reports from recent airstrikes over the past two days in Houthi-controlled areas revealed losses amounting to billions of dollars.
Preliminary estimates indicated that Israeli airstrikes targeting the port of Hodeidah, the Bajel and Amran cement factories, Sana’a Airport, and the Huzayz and Dhabhan power plants have resulted in damages exceeding two billion dollars. Among these losses, half a billion dollars were attributed to the total destruction of buildings and runways at Sana’a International Airport.
Activists believe that the Houthi actions have led to the devastation of infrastructure built over the past fifty years. The closure of the port, cement factories, and power stations has left thousands of Yemenis unemployed, raising concerns about the potential for continued escalation and further destruction by Israel, especially amid the severe humanitarian crisis in these regions. Currently, 80% of the population in these areas relies on humanitarian aid distributed by the United Nations, but a lack of resources means that half of this number does not receive life-saving assistance.
Airport Damages
As of yesterday morning, it was confirmed that the Israeli strikes had completely destroyed both the main and secondary runways of the airport, as well as the arrival and departure terminals and service and administrative facilities. An Airbus A330 and two Airbus A320 aircraft were destroyed, in addition to four out-of-service aircraft: an Airbus A310, a government Boeing 727, a cargo plane, and an aircraft belonging to the Saidi Airline.
With hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport, emergency crews have begun working with the hope of repairing the runway and control tower in order to resume flights by the end of the month.
Yemenis have expressed surprise at the Houthis surrendering to the United States following the strikes that devastated critical facilities in the country. Many have questioned why such measures were not taken earlier to prevent significant losses and why the Houthis ventured into conflict knowing the disparity in capabilities compared to the American and Israeli forces.