Yemen's President Urges Mobilisation Against Houthi Rebels, Offers Amnesty

Yemen's Riyadh-based President Rashid al-Alimi called on Friday for his people to mobilise and join the country's armed forces, framing the appeal as a response to continued advances by the Iran-backed Houthi movement.

In the same address, al-Alimi offered a general amnesty to Houthi fighters, a gesture that suggests the internationally recognised government is seeking to peel away support from the rebel movement even as it pushes for a broader military buildup. The Houthis have seized large stretches of Yemen's Red Sea coastline in recent fighting and have used their coastal positions to impose what officials describe as a naval blockade affecting shipping bound for Saudi Arabia.

The call for mobilisation underscores the pressure facing al-Alimi's government, which has struggled to reverse Houthi territorial gains since the group's takeover of large parts of the country years ago. Yemen's civil conflict has long drawn in regional powers, with Iran widely reported to back the Houthis and a Saudi-led coalition supporting the internationally recognised government.

The naval blockade on Saudi Arabia adds an economic dimension to the standoff, threatening shipping routes along one of the world's most strategically sensitive waterways. It was not immediately clear how the government intends to enforce the mobilisation call or how many fighters might respond to the amnesty offer.

Al-Alimi's remarks come amid continued uncertainty over the prospects for a negotiated end to Yemen's years-long conflict, which has produced one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises.