As the Yemeni government continues to rage in conflict with the Houthi rebels, the United States is set to close their embassy in the nation until the situation stabilizes. According to Fox News:
The officials said diplomats were being evacuated from the country on Tuesday and the embassy will suspend operations until conditions improve. Yemen has been in crisis for months with Iran-linked Shiite Houthi rebels besieging the capital and then taking control. The U.S. officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the closure publicly on the record.
The Houthis are a Shiite rebel force that has been fighting in opposition to Yemeni President Hadi’s government. On Friday they seized control of the nation. Since then, the U.S. ambassador has been ordered to leave the country, with marine security to follow soon after.
The Houthis have dissolved the Yemeni parliament, and have installed Mohammed Ali al-Houthi as the new leader of the nation. Al Jazeera reports that the move is motivated by the Hadi regime’s willingness to send Yemeni soldiers to fight alongside the United States:
The group, who are accused of being backed by Iran, have defended their takeover, calling it a “glorious revolution” that has “broken the shackles of injustice and corruption”.
The ambassador and all other officials are expected to evacuate by Wednesday. U.S. counter-terrorism forces are expected to remain in the country.
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