Hodeidah Governor al-Hassan al-Taher told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that Yemen’s National Army, currently on the outskirts of Hodeidah, plan to besiege the city and leave a passage for militias to escape. Al-Taher said Army personnel were rapidly moving closer to Hodeidah, as they plan to besiege the city from the southern and southeastern sides by closing the road leading to Bajel. This plan aims to halt the arrival of any military reinforcements to Houthis from Sana’a and Taiz. However, the Army would leave one exit in the north to allow militias escape the strategic port city of Hodeidah. “The Yemeni Army will enter the city based on a tight plan capable to protect the rear bases of the Army while advancing to the area, and to guarantee the security of strategic positions,” the Governor said. Meanwhile, Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi affirmed his firm and steadfast stance toward achieving peace in the country, based on the three terms of reference: the Gulf Initiative, the outcomes of the National Dialogue and the relevant UN resolutions, foremost of which is resolution no. 2216. In a meeting with the UN Secretary-Generals Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths on Thursday, Hadi said that "Our experience with the Houthi militia (learnt) during the various rounds of peace talks is that they (Houthis) are unwilling to make peace, in their capacity as stooges for Irans aggressive and expansionist plots in Yemen and the region." According to the official Yemeni news agency Saba, Hadi appreciated the UN envoys efforts for brokering peace. He referred to the suffering that the Yemenis have been enduring over the past years as a result of the coup militia and their attacks on the Yemeni people and Yemens brotherly neighbors. For his part, the UN envoy appreciated Hadis and the governments efforts towards peace based on the three references. Also on Thursday, Saudi ambassador to Yemen, General Supervisor over the Reconstruction Program in Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber announced the launch of a Reconstruction Program in Marib province, to start with the establishment of a Regional Airport.