U.N. Condemns Houthis and Saleh as Drone Strikes Resume

The U.N. Security Council passed an arms embargo yesterday that would legally prevent arms sales to the leadership of the Houthi movement or to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh or his son, who have supported the Houthis’ offensive. The resolution, which Gulf diplomats have been pushing behind the scenes with reticent members of the Security Council, particularly Russia, calls on the Houthis to withdraw from the areas they have occupied and attend negotiations in Riyadh. The resolution, while an important international statement on the conflict, is expected to have little practical effect. The Houthis condemned the resolution and called on Yemeni citizens to hold popular protests against it. Speaking from Madrid yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif proposed a peace plan for Yemen, including a ceasefire, humanitarian aid, and political dialogue, warning that the conflict in Yemen is a “trap” like Syria.

Elsewhere in Yemen, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula confirmed yesterday that an airstrike, most likely from a U.S. drone, killed Ibrahim al-Rubaish, the senior spiritual leader for the organization. It is believed to be the first U.S. drone strike in Yemen since the beginning of the recent conflict and the withdrawal of U.S. military advisors from the country in March. Earlier this week, a new report on U.S. drone strikes in Yemen questioned their effectiveness as a counterterrorism tool and suggested that the U.S. government is not upholding its own standards for the strikes.

U.S. Congress Moves on Bill on Iran Deal

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee cleared the way yesterday for controversial legislation that could interfere with the implementation of a nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1. The proposed bill would allow Congress to vote its approval or disapproval of an agreement and could prevent the president from relieving sanctions. The bill’s passage comes after talks between lawmakers and the White House on a compromise, and Secretary of State John Kerry said today, “We are confident about our ability for the president to negotiate an agreement, and to do so with the ability to make the world safer.” Speaking on state television, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani was dismissive of the legislation and reiterated his insistence on sanctions relief in an agreement. “What the U.S. Senate, Congress and others say is not our problem,” Rouhani said. “We are in talks with the major powers and not with the Congress.”

Headlines

• Two weeks after seizing much of the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, Syria, the Islamic State has reportedly been pushed from much of the area to Palestinian fighters.

• Speaking alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi during his visit to the White House yesterday, President Obama pledged $200 million in new humanitarian aid to Iraq and called on Iran to channel its support through Baghdad instead of acting unilaterally.

• German and Italian diplomats expressed concerns on Tuesday about Russia’s decision to lift a ban on the delivery of S-300 missiles to Iran; “I’ve told some U.S. senators that they should not now try to unnecessarily impede further negotiations. But I’ll also say that it is also too early to talk about rewards at this stage,” the German foreign minister said.

• A new report by Human Rights Watch alleges that there is credible evidence that the Assad regime has been bombarding civilians with toxic chemicals in its barrel bombs in Idlib Province.

• The Moroccan government has responded to the decision by a Spanish court to press charges against 11 former security officials for genocide and other human rights abuses during conflict over the territory of Western Sahara; “Our consciences are clear,” the Moroccan foreign minister told reporters, saying the government would cooperate in the case.

Correction: Yesterday, the brief cited a report that local tribes had seized Yemen’s only natural gas export plant. That report was inaccurate, and the plant remains in operation under the control of its operators. A correct report can be found here.

-J. Dana Stuster

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