Biden Picks Longtime US Diplomat as Yemen Envoy

The Biden administration chose a longtime U.S. diplomat for the Middle East as its special envoy in Yemen, AP reported on Thursday.

The administration seeks a diplomatic end to a five-year-war that has deepened humanitarian suffering in the Arabian peninsula’s poorest country.

US President Joe Biden was expected to announce the choice of Timothy Lenderking Thursday afternoon, while speaking at the State Department, a person familiar with the matter confirmed.

The Gulf-based newspaper The National first reported the pick.

Lenderking has been a deputy assistant secretary of state in the agency’s Middle East section.

Being a career foreign service member, Lenderking has served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other countries inside and out of the Middle East.

The Biden administration noted that it will use diplomacy to try to end the overall war in Yemen.

In the same page, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the President will announce an end to U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen.

“Today, he will announce an end to American support for offensive operations in Yemen,” Sullivan said while previewing the president’s speech.

The United States has been supporting a Saudi Arabia-led military coalition in Yemen’s civil war with logistics and intelligence support, in addition to billions of dollars in weapons sales.

Last week, the State Department announced it was pausing and reviewing arms sales to the Saudis, as well as to the United Arab Emirates.