Yemens foreign minister, Khalid Hussein al-Yamani, said that Arab Coalition and Yemeni government diplomatic efforts have allowed states, which had previously expressed reservations about the military operation in Hodeida, to become aware of the importance to recapture the port city from Houthi insurgents. “During the last days, we explained to the international community about the importance of recuperating the port of Hodeidah to protect international security and water passages from Houthi militias that are using the port to smuggle arms from Iran, launch missiles on civilian ships and plant cluster bombs in areas south of the Red Sea,” the minister told Asharq Al-Awsat on Friday. Yamani further explained that the states, which had expressed reservations, now understand the measures taken by the Yemeni government and the Saudi-led Arab Coalition to liberate the port city and stop Houthi threats to international navigation and the delivery of humanitarian aid. “The international community is now conscious about the need to liberate territories in the western coastline and the withdrawal of militias from Hodeidah,” he said. Some states had expressed fears that the Hodeidah offensive would trigger a humanitarian crisis in the city, the minister told Asharq Al-Awsat “But we have asserted that military operations … are happening in tandem with relief efforts to helm the city’s residents,” he said. No humanitarian crisis was registered in the strategic port city eight days into operation “Golden Victory,” Yamani said. “The Yemeni Army has already called on residents to stay away from areas controlled by militias,” the minister stated. In this regard, Saba news agency reported that Yamani received on Friday a telephone call from the State Minister for the Middle East Affairs at British Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alistair Burt. They discussed the latest developments in Yemen, according to Saba. The two ministers also confirmed their support to the efforts exerted by the UN Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffith, for a peaceful solution in Hodeida, hoping that he would convince the militias to hand over the city and its port to the legitimacy.