President Biden withdraws US support for war in Yemen, backs UN-led initiatives

US President Joe Biden on Thursday announced that Washington is withdrawing its support for ongoing Saudi-backed military operations in Yemen. President Biden, while delivering his first foreign policy speech from the State Department, said that the United States will support the United Nations-led initiatives in Yemen, including the imposition of a ceasefire. The Biden administration also appointed a special envoy for the Yemen conflict to help reach a diplomatic solution. 

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"We are also stepping up our diplomacy to end the war in Yemen. A war that has created a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe. I have asked my Middle-East team to ensure our support for the United Nations-led initiative to impose a ceasefire, open humanitarian channels, and restore long-dormant peace talks. This war has to end," Biden said in his address. 

Read: UN Panel: Yemen's War Being Fueled By Economic Profiteering

President Biden said that the US will also stop relevant arms sales in the region to ensure a peaceful resolution. Biden, however, assured that the United States will continue to support Saudi Arabia to defend its "sovereignty" and maintain its "territorial integrity". Biden said that Saudi Arabia faces missile attacks, drone strikes from Iranian-supplied forces in multiple countries and we are going to help Saudi Arabia in averting those threats.

Read: UN: Yemen’s Warring Sides Resume Talks On Prisoner Exchange

Yemen conflict

The war in Yemen began in 2014 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels captured the country's capital Sana'a and most of the northern parts, including key seaports, which massively hampered imports, pushing the country into a humanitarian crisis. Saudi Arabia, an adversary of Iran, entered the war in 2015 and started airstrikes against the Houthis in an attempt to defeat the rebels and restore the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi. 

Read: Yemen's Central Bank Calls UN Report Accusing Govt Of Siphoning Saudi Money 'misleading'

(Image Credit: AP)