Aletho News

Saudi crown prince seeks dialogue with Ansarullah after Yemeni blows: Report

Press TV – September 18, 2026

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has called for temporary ceasefire and dialogue with Yemen’s Ansaraullah resistance movement, amid crippling Yemeni blockade and painful strikes on the kingdom, a report says.

Lebanon’s al-Akhbar news website, citing informed sources, reported that Riyadh has asked Oman to convey to Ansarullah its proposal for a two-week ceasefire and direct talks with the movement’s leadership with the aim of “addressing humanitarian demands” and ultimately “reaching a comprehensive agreement by the end of the truce.”

According to the report, the kingdom expressed its willingness to lift the siege on Yemen and allow the entry of aid into the country.

However, the report said, Ansarullah seeks “a final and comprehensive solution to the conflict, on the basis that there is a Yemeni-Saudi battle that has nothing to do with internal Yemeni affairs.”

The sources stressed that the resistance movement’s demands include an end to the blockade in all its forms: aerial, ground and naval, as well as Saudi Arabia’s military, security and political withdrawal from Yemen, and Saudi compensation for damage caused by the kingdom’s strikes.

Ansarullah had previously informed Muscat that the Saudi proposal to sponsor an intra-Yemeni dialogue was unacceptable, as it constituted foreign interference, stressing that the Yemeni dialogue is an internal affair in which no one has the right to interfere.

Al-Akhbar noted that the Saudi proposal came as the kingdom was “shocked” by the rapid advance of the Yemeni military and Ansarullah fighters along the Western coast and their control of Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the failure of Riyadh’s calls for aid to be heeded.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reportedly briefed the Saudis on an assessment indicating a “sudden disintegration” within the mercenary force led by Tariq Saleh, noting that “Sanaa’s forces appeared fully apprised of every move made by Saleh and his troops.”

A source familiar with the matter said the US stance is “akin to a reprimand of Saudi Arabia over the conduct of its allied forces,” coupled with an emphasis that “the United States would not deploy its own forces to fight on anyone’s behalf.”

The Saudi retreat also comes as the idea of ​​recruiting mercenaries from Syria, Libya, and Sudan to fight in Yemen has also failed to gain traction, according to the report.

Ben Salman was also advised by Egyptian officials, who surprised him by a historical overview of the situation in Yemen during his visit to Cairo, to hold talks with Ansarullah.

The outlet also noted that bin Salman is monitoring with concern reports that officials from the US administration have informed Omani officials of Washington’s desire to hold talks with Ansarullah to ensure that the Bab al-Mandab Strait would not be closed.

According to an Omani source, communications between officials in Muscat and Mohammed Abdulsalam, the spokesman for Ansarullah and Yemen’s chief negotiator, stressed that the Sana’a government “has no intention of taking any measures that would jeopardize navigation in the Red Sea.”

The Omani mediator informed the US and Saudi Arabia that Ansarullah had clearly stated that maritime navigation in the Red Sea is safe, except for Saudi ships. The group also stressed the ban would remain in effect until Riyadh practically lifts the blockade on Yemen.

Several countries such as Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have reportedly been communicating with Yemeni and Ansarullah officials for a week with the aim of stopping the country’s military operations.

The report quoted a relevant source in Muscat as saying that diplomatic efforts to persuade Riyadh to back away from its rigid stance began after all mediating parties have realized that the movement is determined to find a “final” solution to the current situation.

Yemeni armed forces continue to consolidate their positions along the Western coast, taking additional measures to counter any attempt by Saudi-backed mercenaries to make up for their losses.

Senior Ansarullah officials have informed mediators that continued Saudi airstrikes on Yemen will be met with significant escalation, including more heavy strikes against vital facilities deep inside the Kingdom.

The current maritime blockade is a direct response to the devastating, years-long siege imposed on Yemen by the Saudi-led coalition.

For nearly a decade, the coalition has enforced a crippling land, sea, and air blockade, which the United Nations has repeatedly described as a primary driver of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.

This siege has deliberately targeted Yemen’s ability to import food, fuel, and medicine, while simultaneously attempting to plunder the nation’s oil and gas resources.

Utilizing their advanced asymmetric naval capabilities, including drones and missiles, Yemen has shifted from a purely defensive posture to an active pressure campaign.

This strategy is designed to inflict direct economic and military costs on the Saudi regime until the siege is permanently lifted, the war is ended, and Yemen’s full sovereignty is restored.

September 18, 2026 - Posted by aletho | Illegal Occupation, Militarism | Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Yemen