Maeen Abdulmalik Saeed, now an adviser to Yemen's president Rashad al-Alimi, said it would be catastrophic if the Houthis captured Taiz. Control of the Bab al-Mandab strait in the Red Sea and the road to Aden, seat of the UN-recognised government, would be lost. Saeed appealed for more western help, stating he had no doubt the Houthis intended to seize all of Yemen and that their goal was 'to help Iran to expand the chaos.'
Saeed acknowledged shortcomings on the government side. He admitted a lack of coordination among government-backed troops, competition between Gulf states, and a slowness to appreciate the implications of Yemen acquiring long-range drone technology had contributed to the pressure facing his government and its chief backer, Saudi Arabia.
'We only have light weapons and Saudi Arabia did not plan at an early stage for this escalation, but it is never too late to regain our position,' Saeed said. He called on the west to think through the implications of allowing the Houthis to take control of Yemen, arguing the country would never be secure with Houthis on the land. Saeed served as prime minister between 2018 and 2024 and was a former negotiator with the Houthis.
The warning comes as residents in Taiz stockpile supplies anticipating urban fighting, according to a separate report by the Guardian.