PNN – Informed Yemeni sources have reported repeated requests from Saudi Arabia for a ceasefire, stating that Sana’a has rejected all of them.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; following devastating attacks by Yemeni forces yesterday—which targeted Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran, oil refineries in Riyadh, and King Fahd International Airport in Dammam—informed sources reported that Riyadh has once again requested a de-escalation of military tensions with Sana’a.
Sanaa Dashes Riyadh’s Hopes
Citing informed sources, the newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that Sanaa views this request from Saudi Arabia as an attempt by the Kingdom to regroup and prepare for a new round of conflict; consequently, Sanaa will not accept it under any circumstances. The Yemenis also reiterate their firm, long-standing conditions for a ceasefire—foremost among them being the lifting of the Saudi-led blockade on Yemen.
These sources reported that Saudi Arabia has once again requested a one-month ceasefire to resume negotiations on a peace roadmap that had been agreed upon in 2023.
The sources emphasized that this Saudi request—conveyed to the Sana’a-based government via Oman—calls for a new round of talks between Sana’a and the mercenary government based in Aden. This proposal has previously been rejected by the Sana’a-based government; the Yemenis maintain that the crisis in Yemen is not an internal conflict and that Saudi Arabia—as the primary aggressor—cannot position itself as a mediator within Yemen.
This effort follows the failure of recent mediation attempts aimed at ending the conflict between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Last Sunday, the Saudi news agency reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held a telephone conversation with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, during which he emphasized Tehran’s readiness to assist in initiating negotiations and reaching a political solution.
In this regard, the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that Araghchi expressed concern over the escalating tensions between Sana’a and Riyadh, stressing that continuing a military-focused approach while disregarding a political solution would only further complicate the current situation.
Sanaa’s Firm Conditions for a Ceasefire
Meanwhile, as diplomatic sources in the Gulf states report the failure of Pakistan-led efforts over the past two days to de-escalate tensions between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, sources close to the Sanaa-based government have revealed that, ahead of the World Energy Congress in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia sought regional and international mediation—including through China—and proposed a ceasefire lasting only five days.
These sources stated that the request was rejected by Sana’a, as Sana’a maintains that any cessation of current tensions is contingent upon Riyadh meeting Yemen’s demands. These demands include lifting the blockade on Yemeni airports; removing restrictions on supply chains destined for Yemeni ports; paying the salaries of government employees using proceeds from oil sales held in Saudi banks; and implementing the humanitarian provisions outlined in the United Nations’ “roadmap”—such as alleviating the suffering of prisoners and detainees, reopening closed roads between provinces, and negotiating a resolution to the existing financial and monetary divide.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of the political bureau of Yemen’s Ansarallah movement, stated that Sanaa has received proposals from certain mediators for a temporary ceasefire with Saudi Arabia. However, he reiterated the rejection of any partial solutions or temporary ceasefires, emphasizing that Riyadh—as the aggressor against Yemen rather than a mediator—must act in accordance with its actual role.
The repeated calls from the Saudis for a ceasefire with Yemen followed an intensification of attacks by Sanaa on Saudi Aramco facilities and airports within Saudi Arabia.
According to a political source in Sana’a who spoke to Al-Akhbar, the Sana’a government—while rejecting Saudi Arabia’s unreasonable proposals—is not closing the door to political solutions. On the contrary, it welcomes mediation in principle, provided that the aggression is brought to a complete and permanent end and the blockade on Yemen is lifted.
The source emphasized that ending the war and the blockade is in the interest of Saudi Arabia—perhaps even more so than it is for Yemen—especially given the shifting balance of power. Nevertheless, Saudi Arabia’s insistence on denying its aggression against the Yemeni people and its 12-year-long blockade undermines any regional or international efforts to halt the current escalation.
Saudi Arabia Cries Out Over Intensifying Military Pressure from Yemen
Meanwhile, observers believe that the heavy-scale operations carried out by Sana’a-aligned forces—utilizing ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones against King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, as well as Abha, Jizan, Najran, and Abqaiq—have intensified both military and economic pressure on Riyadh.
These attacks have also exposed the failure of the air defense systems that Saudi Arabia has deployed to protect its major airports—facilities that handle over 1,350 flights daily.
Observers emphasize that the Yemenis managed to close Saudi Arabia’s airspace and bring air traffic to a near-complete standstill in just one week. Furthermore, their prior warnings prompted numerous international airlines to suspend their flights to Saudi Arabia.
Moreover, as the Yemenis demonstrate their resolve to maintain an aerial blockade against Saudi Arabia and solidify this new dynamic, a Yemeni military source has advised Aramco shareholders to sell their shares quickly to avoid losses in the coming days.
This news emerged after forces in Sana’a announced that, in response to an intensification of Saudi military attacks, they would step up their operations against Aramco facilities. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, spokesperson for the Yemeni Armed Forces, stated yesterday that Yemen is continuing its operations, having targeted King Khalid International Airport, Aramco refineries in Riyadh, and the Aramco headquarters in Dhahran.
Saudi media, citing Turki al-Maliki—spokesperson for the aggressor coalition—also acknowledged that Saudi Arabia had been subjected to the largest-scale aerial attack from Yemen, involving the launch of approximately 14 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as several drones.