A top official in Yemen’s United Nations-backed government said Houthi militants who control much of the country can be defeated in six to twelve months with foreign support, potentially easing threats to key trade routes through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
Yemen would need assistance from the United States, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, Vice President Aidarous al-Zubaidi said in an interview. The other option for Houthi defeat is working to pursue an independent South Yemen while containing the organization in the north, al-Zoubaidi said.