Yemeni Foreign Minister Afrah Alzouba recently addressed concerns regarding her country's geopolitical status, explicitly denying that Yemen functions as a bargaining chip for Iran. In a discussion with the Russian news agency Sputnik, Alzouba asserted that the future of Yemen is a matter to be decided by Yemenis themselves through their national institutions rather than through external influence.

Alzouba highlighted the restoration of the Yemeni state as a critical priority, framing it as a necessary pillar for maintaining regional security. Furthermore, she linked the stability of the Yemeni government to the protection of international navigation, suggesting that a functional state is vital for safeguarding global shipping lanes. The Yemeni Foreign Ministry later shared these sentiments in a statement posted on social media platform X, reinforcing the minister's stance on national sovereignty and the rejection of foreign manipulation in the country's internal affairs.

While the report focuses on the minister's rejection of Iranian influence, it does not detail the specific context or questions that prompted these remarks. The statement serves as a formal declaration of Yemen's independent political path, distancing the nation from the regional power dynamics often attributed to it by international observers.