Saudis Considering Some Form of Ceasefire in Yemen

Ongoing fighting in northern Yemen, punctuated by a number of Saudi airstrikes, has been a near-constant problem. Houthi calls for a ceasefire seem to be getting taken seriously by Saudi officials, with reports saying that the Saudis might consider some form of ceasefire.

Some form of ceasefire isn’t awfully specific. The Houthis say they want a ceasefire to make a step toward “national reconciliation” after four and a half years of war. What the Saudis are looking for is less clear.

It is apparent, however, that the Saudi war has gone very poorly compared to their expectations, taking longer than planned, and the large number of civilian deaths are doing them a lot of harm on the international stage. The Saudis may figure they’d like a face-saving way out of this war.

But past approaches to peace talks in Yemen have been derailed by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which insists that since the UN endorsed them as the rightful government at the start of the war, any deal is conditioned on them remaining unconditionally in power, and everyone else disarming.