U.S. Envoy for Yemen Visits Gulf

The U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, began his visit to the Gulf on Monday as part of the U.S. role in advancing the ongoing UN-led peace efforts in Yemen. According to the U.S. State Department, Lenderking will meet with Yemeni, Saudi, Emirati, Omani, and international partners to discuss the necessary steps to secure a durable ceasefire and launch an inclusive, UN-mediated political process. The war in Yemen de-escalated last year, and international efforts are underway to prevent its resumption. 

Local media outlets reported that a military group loyal to the UAE Sunday stormed the UN-recognized government headquarters in Aden, besieging Prime Minister Maeen Abdul-Malik. The sources said separatist forces led by Abu Zaraa Al-Mahrami, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council, stormed the government headquarters because the prime minister refused to approve a deal with a pro-secession businessman. That incident came 48 hours after Abdul-Malik arrived in Aden City on Saturday from Saudi Arabia.

The United Nations has reiterated concerns about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen due to insufficient funding for this year's response plan. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that Yemen remains among the world's most severe humanitarian crises, with about 21.6 million individuals requiring aid or protection in 2023. According to the U.N., the crisis could exacerbate due to ongoing conflict, economic decline, critical funding shortfalls, global inflation, and difficulties accessing affected areas.

Algerian and Moroccan voices accuse the UAE and Israel of collaborating to disrupt North African nations' democratic progress. Algerian leader Abdelkader Bengrina claims the UAE's suspicious role worsened after the Niger military coup, alleging that the UAE pressured Mauritania into questionable deals with Israel involving a military airport and eventual normalization. Bengrina also highlighted the UAE's intention to purchase a military airport in Mauritania. 

Oman LNG signed an agreement with Securing Energy for Europe (SEFE) to supply 400,000 tonnes of liquefied natural gas a year, starting from 2026, Omani state-run News Agency reported on Monday. The agreement with the German company is based on a four-year contract. Competition for LNG has increased after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, with Europe importing record volumes of the supercooled fuel to find an alternative to Moscow's gas supplies.