Japan reaffirms support for Yemeni government in Riyadh talks
Toshimitsu Motegi tells Rashad Al-Alimi that stability in Yemen is vital to global development and asks Iran to press the Houthis to show restraint.
- During talks in Riyadh, Japan's Foreign Minister reaffirmed support for Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, the country's internationally recognized government.
- As part of its support, Japan condemned recent Houthi attacks on shipping vessels and stated it has urged Iran to press the group for restraint.
- The minister highlighted that stability in Yemen is vital for the international community due to the country's location next to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a strategic maritime chokepoint.
Japan has reaffirmed its support for the Yemeni government while condemning recent Houthi attacks on vessels, following talks between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Rashad Al-Alimi in Saudi Arabia.
The officials met in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, on Tuesday afternoon (August 18, 2026), local time.
Al-Alimi is chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council and de facto head of the Yemeni government.
Motegi said Japan had asked Iran to press the Houthis to exercise restraint.
The pro-Iranian armed group is fighting the Yemeni government, and its recent attacks have heightened concern about navigational safety.
Motegi also highlighted Yemen’s position beside the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea, the waterway is a strategic maritime chokepoint.
He said stability in Yemen was “directly linked to stability and development of the entire international community”.
The passage is also taking on greater importance as an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz for crude oil shipments.
Al-Alimi praised Japan’s response, and the two officials agreed to continue working closely together.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
