Saudis, UAE Block UN Call for Yemen Ceasefire

Saudi Crown Prince loudly opposes ceasefire efforts

The British government’s UN resolution calling for a Yemen ceasefire has been blocked by heavy lobbying from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, chief participants in the war. The resolution would’ve called for a halt to fighting in the vital aid port of Hodeidah.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was very public in his opposition to the ceasefire, with British officials saying he “threw a fit” about their proposal. The prince complained that it weakened the Saudi position on the war.

Salman’s level of influence is perhaps not what it was after the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, though apparently it was still enough to convince several nations, including the US, to block the ceasefire resolution and demanding it be held off for at least a month.

The Trump Administration’s call for a ceasefire in late October seems to be losing momentum. Growing interest in showing the Saudis that, Khashoggi or no, the US still supports them, has meant that Yemen is once again a low priority.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.