The withdrawal of Houthi rebels from three of Yemen’s ports as part of the December 2018 ceasefire agreement should have been the basis for further talks to expand the truce to other parts of the country. Yemen now risks falling back to the pre-ceasefire days of conflict with fighting having broken out in parts of the government-controlled south. Immediately after the pipeline was attacked, the Saudis blamed Iran for ordering it, an allegation which both Tehran and the Houthis have refuted. The blockade Saudi Arabia imposed on Yemen steadily worsened the country’s hunger problem and health-care crisis. Saudi Arabia appears to be frustrated that it is not able to defeat the Houthis even after years of heavy bombing.

Source: The Hindu May 20, 2019 18:22 UTC