The internationally recognized presidential council of Yemen has dismissed the prime minister, Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed in a surprise decision, coinciding with ongoing US-led coalition airstrikes targeting the government's adversaries, the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels.

A decree issued by the council has designated Foreign Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak as the new prime minister of the country. Bin Mubarak, known for his close ties to Saudi Arabia, has taken over the position previously held by Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, who served as Yemen's premier since 2018.

The council did not provide a reason for the reshuffle. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since 2014, initiated when the Iran-backed rebels, known as the Houthis, seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and large parts of the northern region.

Months after the initial Houthi uprising in 2014, a Saudi-led coalition intervened to combat the rebels and has been engaged in conflict with them since 2015, with the objective of reinstating the internationally recognized government to authority.

The ongoing war has inflicted severe devastation upon Yemen, which was already the poorest Arab nation, and has resulted in one of the world's most dire humanitarian crises. The conflict has claimed the lives of over 150,000 individuals, encompassing both combatants and civilians.

In recent months, the Houthis have participated in negotiations with Saudi Arabia, which has been seeking a resolution to the protracted conflict. Both parties have reported making progress towards revitalizing an expired cease-fire, signaling a potential breakthrough. These talks between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia are integral to broader initiatives aimed at achieving a political resolution to the conflict.

The peace efforts encountered obstacles following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October. The Houthis have targeted shipping routes in the Red Sea, citing it as their response to Israel's military operations against the Palestinian militants, who, like the Houthis, receive backing from Iran.

The Houthi attacks have prompted the US and Britain to carry out successive waves of airstrikes on areas controlled by the rebels in Yemen.

Image source: India Today