What’s going on with the Saudi’s and Yemen… and the US Congress?….

Yemen’s internationally recognized government and the Houthi-led rebel movement agreed to a cease-fire in the port city of Hodeidah and its surrounding governorate on Thursday, following a week of UN–sponsored peace talks in Sweden.

Why it matters: The agreement follows mounting pressure from humanitarian groups; if it holds, it would mark a major diplomatic breakthrough. Since some 70% of basic commodities and relief aid flow through Hodeidah, keeping the port open is essential to staving off even more widespread food insecurity.

Background: The Saudi- and UAE–led offensive has severely restricted commercial and humanitarian cargo. Some 65,000 people in Yemen already face famine conditions and another 16 million — an increase of more than 2 million in just three months — are on the verge of acute food insecurity.

Details: The agreement calls for a UN–supervised withdrawal of both sides’ forces from Hodeidah within three weeks, and UN management of port facilities and inspections. It also provides for a swap of thousands of prisoner combatants, and support for Yemen’s central bank to enable salary payments to over a million public-sector workers

What to watch: A lot will need to go right to ensure the agreement becomes a reality on the ground….

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Because of the above?

The US Senate will NOW front this…..

The Senate passed a resolution proposed by Sens. Bernie Sanders, Chris Murphy, and Mike Lee to pull U.S. support from the Saudi-led coalition in the war in Yemen by a 56-41 vote. President Trump says he’d veto the resolution if it reached his desk.

Why it matters: This is the first time the Senate has ever used congressional authority handed to them in the War Powers Act of 1973. The move stands as a rebuke of the Trump administration’s continued support of the Saudis in the face of the disaster unfolding in Yemen, and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Earlier on Thursday, the warring factions in Yemen made a significant step forward in agreeing on a ceasefire in vital the port city of Hodeidah….

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image….Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and then-Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2017. Photo: Jonathan Ernst – Pool/Getty Images

And few have heard of this…..

Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced on Thursday that the Pentagon will be seeking a “full reimbursement of $331 million” from both the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia for aerial refueling during the war in Yemen.

The backdrop: In March, Reed and Sen. Richard Blumenthal requested that Defense Secretary James Mattis notify Congress of records of reimbursements from Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the inflight refueling assistance the U.S. had been providing since 2015. Last week, the Atlantic reported that the U.S. had not yet been reimbursed for “tens of millions of dollars” due to what the Pentagon called “errors in accounting.”

Axios….