Yemen Hezbollah say Western embassy closures in Yemen ‘unjustified’

Yemen’s Hebollah movement has criticized the Western states that have closed their diplomatic missions in the capital, Sana’a, saying the move was “unjustified.”

“The decisions of some Western countries to close their embassies in Sana’a are absolutely unjustified,” said Hussein al-Ezzi, the head of the foreign relations of the movement, on Thursday.

This came after the US, Britain and France have temporarily closed their embassies over what they called security concerns in the Arab country. The Western states have also urged their citizens to leave the country.

Ezzi went on to say that the move was designed to put “pressure” on the Yemeni people.

He added that the trio “will quickly realize that it is in their interests to deal positively with the will of the Yemeni people, which they must respect.”

The Ansarullah fighters of the Houthi movement gained control of the capital in September 2014, following a four-day battle with army forces loyal to General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, the half-brother of the country’s former dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh.

The revolutionaries say the Yemeni government has been incapable of properly running the affairs of the country and providing security.

Before gaining control of the capital, Ansarullah had set a deadline for the political parties to put aside differences and fill the power vacuum, but the deadline was missed without any change in the political scene of the country.

Last week, the Houthi movement also dissolved the parliament, following weeks of clashes with government forces.

Ansarullah announced a constitutional declaration on the Transitional National Council, which is expected to replace the country’s parliament.

The declaration added that the Transitional National Council will be set up to elect the presidential council in a bid to end the country’s political deadlock.

Over the past months, al-Qaeda militants have frequently carried out attacks on Yemen’s security forces. The militants have been also engaged in battles with the Ansarullah revolutionaries.