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Top Democrats urge Gulf to drop demand for Houthi surrender in Yemen

Some of the House’s most hawkish Democratic leaders rebuked Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over their offensive on the key port of Hodeidah.
A man walks towards the gate of the Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen June 24, 2018. REUTERS/Abduljabbar Zeyad - RC1869894F80

Key Democratic leaders in Congress are pressing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to drop their demands for Yemen’s Houthi rebels to unilaterally surrender the key Red Sea port of Hodeidah.

In a letter to the countries’ ambassadors in Washington, five members of the House Democratic leadership raise concerns about the humanitarian toll in the war-plagued country. The letter marks the latest blow to a Gulf coalition that has continued to hemorrhage support in Congress, which has the power to block arms sales and refueling support to the Saudi-led Arab coalition fighting the Iran-backed Houthis.

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