Yemen’s foreign minister, Afrah Alzouba, has said that Yemen is not “an Iranian bargaining chip” and that its future is “determined by Yemenis through their state and national path”.
In a discussion with Russian news agency, Sputnik, Alzouba emphasized that restoring the state is a “pillar for regional security and the protection of international navigation”, according to statement posted on X by the country’s foreign ministry.
The post said that during the discussion, Alzouba addressed the escalation by “the terrorist Houthi militia” in the western coast and Bab al-Mandab, its humanitarian repercussions, its implications for national and regional security, and international trade routes, as well as relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
وزيرة الخارجية وشؤون المغتربين @afrah_alzouba تؤكد أن #اليمن ليس ورقة إيرانية للتفاوض، وأن مستقبله يقرره اليمنيون عبر دولتهم ومسارهم الوطني، مشدّدةً على أن استعادة الدولة ركيزةٌ لأمن المنطقة وحماية الملاحة الدولية، وذلك خلال حديثها مع وكالة @sputnik_ar الروسية، تناولت فيه تصعيد… pic.twitter.com/iAF9Rl6Xf9 — وزارة خارجية الجمهورية اليمنية (@yemen_mofa) September 18, 2026