While pro-government forces continue to push onwards in battlefield advances against Houthi militias in Yemen’s strategic governorate of Marib, a Saudi-UAE military meeting on Thursday examined Arab Coalition operations backing the Yemeni Army.

“Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Acting Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Forces Lt. Gen. Mutlaq Al-Azima held a meeting with Commander of the UAE Joint Operations Maj. Gen. Saleh Al-Amiri at the headquarters of the Joint Forces Command on Thursday,” reported the state-owned Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

During the meeting, the two commanders reviewed the progress of military operations in support of the Yemeni Army and joint efforts spent in ongoing Arab Coalition operations supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized state.

“The meeting comes within the framework of continuous coordination with the leadership of the joint forces of the Coalition to achieve the desired goals and aspirations,” reported SPA.

To date, Iran-backed Houthi militias are matching their rejection of all international and regional peace initiatives with scaled-up offensives against Marib, where over a million Yemeni internally displaced refugees have sought safety in government-run territories.

More so, Houthis are stepping up their violations of the UN-sponsored Stockholm Agreement in the Red Sea coastal governorate of Hodeidah.

Houthi aggression will very likely continue to challenge any diplomat replacing the UK’s Martin Griffiths as the UN’s special envoy to the conflict-wracked nation, where observers warn that international efforts are circling a vicious loop so long that Houthis are determined to play a part in Iran’s expansionist agenda for the region.

On Thursday, the UN Security Council agreed to extend the UN mission in Hodeidah (UNMHA) for another year.

The vote stressed the importance of enabling the mission to deploy all its members.

Nevertheless, the mission’s work has been virtually frozen for months now after UNMHA failed to achieve any significant progress in implementing the Stockholm Agreement.

The UN mission remains unsuccessful in having Houthis hand over control of Red Sea ports in Hodeidah, a vital stipulation of the Agreement.