After the compound that once housed the US Embassy in Sanaa was breached by Iran-backed Houthi forces, Yemeni security employees of the U.S. government were detained. The Houthis have controlled Sanaa and much of the country’s north. In 2015, the U.S. diplomatic mission was suspended and relocated to Saudi Arabia.
The State Department has said that a majority of the staff had been released and that diplomatic efforts are ongoing to release the remaining security guards. The Houthi forces were called upon to vacate the embassy compound and return any stolen property. In 2015, Saudi Arabia launched a military intervention to the Houthis in Yemen, seeking to recognize Yemen’s international right to be recognized as a government power. Houthi forces have also directly attacked Saudi Arabia which resulted in a near-total blockade on Yemen by the Saudi government. The international community is pushing for talks to end the conflict.
Read more: Iran-backed Yemen forces breach U.S. Embassy compound in Sanaa, detain local employees
