2021 occupation of the United States embassy compound in Yemen
The 2021 occupation of the United States embassy compound in Yemen was the breach of the former US Embassy compound in Sanaa by Iran-backed Houthi militants on 10 November 2021.[1][2] Twenty five U.S. contractors were taken hostage;[3] the U.S. government declined to confirm how many,[4] but said it was "unceasing in our behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts to secure their release."[5]
The U.S. State Department requested that Houthi forces vacate the buildings and return all property.[6] Following reports of the detention of Yemeni United States Agency for International Development and other U.S. workers,[7] a State Department spokesman declared that the U.S. “is committed to ensuring the safety of those who serve the U.S. government overseas"[8] Houthi militants are not a designated terrorist organization since February 2021.[9][10]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Rasmussen, Sune Engel (12 November 2021). "Houthi Rebels in Yemen Occupy U.S. Embassy Compound, Hold Hostages". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
Houthi rebels stormed the embassy compound in San'a on Wednesday and took U.S.-employed security personnel hostage
- ^ O’Grady, Siobhán; Cheng, Amy (12 November 2021). "Iran-backed Yemen forces breach US Embassy compound in Sanaa, detain local employees". Stars and Stripes. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
breached by Iran-backed Houthi forces, the State Department said
- ^ Morgan, Ryan (2021-11-12). "Iran-backed rebels storm US Embassy in Yemen, take 25 employees hostage". American Military News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-24. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ "US calls on Houthi rebels to release local embassy staffers". Khaleej Times. Agence France-Presse. 12 November 2021. Archived from the original on 15 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
State Department spokesman Ned Price declined to say how many local employees had been detained
- ^ Falconer, Rebecca (November 12, 2021). "Iran-backed rebels detain Yemeni U.S. Embassy staff after breaching compound". Axios. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
- ^ O'Grady, Siobhán; Cheng, Amy (11 November 2021). "Yemen's Houthi forces breach U.S. Embassy compound, detain local employees". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
The State Department also called on Houthi forces to "immediately vacate" the embassy compound and to "return all seized property."
- ^ Hatem, Mohammed (November 9, 2021). "Iran-backed Houthis Detain 25 Yemenis Working for U.S.". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
Those rounded up include Yemenis working for the U.S. embassy and USAID, the international development arm of the American government
- ^ "US Demands Yemeni Rebels Leave US Embassy Building, Release Security Guards". VOA. 2021-11-12. Archived from the original on 2021-11-16. Retrieved 2021-11-25.
- ^ Kelly, Laura (11 November 2021). "US calls for Iran-backed Houthis to release detained Yemeni staffers from embassy". The Hill. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
The president also reversed the former Trump administration's decision to label the Houthis a terrorist organization, a move celebrated by the United Nations
- ^ Richman, Jackson (12 November 2021). "Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Storm US Embassy in Yemen, Take Hostages: Report". Mediaite. Archived from the original on 16 November 2021. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
designated the Houthis as a terrorist group, only for the Biden administration to rescind that designation the following month in a move that critics said was meant to ease tensions between the United States and Iran
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