Jason Greenblatt
Jason GreenblattFlash 90

Jason Greenblatt, who served as the White House envoy to the Middle East during the Trump administration, on Monday criticized State Department spokesman Ned Price, after he expressed concerns over the Yemen-based Houthi rebels’ constant attacks on Saudi Arabia.

“We are and remain deeply concerned by the frequency of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia. Attacks like these are not the actions of a group that is serious about peace,” Price told reporters.

Greenblatt fired back and wrote on Twitter, “Calling on ‘all parties to seriously commit to a ceasefire’ while Houthi terrorists attack [the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] is not standing by our ally. Condemn the Houthis, unequivocally. Make clear KSA must defend its citizens, unequivocally. Period-full stop. Then talk about how unserious the Houthis are.”

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken recently announced the removal of the Houthi rebels from the US list of foreign terrorist organizations, reversing a decision that was made by the Trump administration days before the end of his term.

The Houthis and their allies took over large parts of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, in 2015. A Saudi-led military coalition then intervened in Yemen to try to restore the government.

It has long been believed that Iran is planning to use the Houthis to take over Yemen and seize the key strategic port of Aden, which controls the entrance to the Red Sea and ultimately to the Israeli resort city of Eilat.

Iran denies it is backing the Houthis and has also denied Saudi Arabian accusations that Tehran provided the Houthi rebels in Yemen with ballistic capabilities.

Last February, the US Navy seized an Iranian weapons shipment bound for Houthi rebels in Yemen.