(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The United States said Wednesday it was closely monitoring a crisis in Yemen that has seen Shiite militia seize much of the capital Sanaa, with Washington calling for a peaceful solution.
President Barack Obama "is being updated by his national security team," a senior administration official told AFP, as the government of President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi - a US political ally - teetered.
"We strongly condemn the violence and those stoking it in an effort to disrupt Yemen's political transition," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"We will continue to support efforts to bring about a peaceful solution."
The US military is ready to evacuate American diplomats and other personnel from Yemen if asked by the State Department, but no action was imminent at the moment, defense officials told AFP.
Two amphibious ships with US Marines on board, the USS Iwo Jima and the USS Fort McHenry, are in the region and available if needed.
The Iwo Jima, an amphibious assault ship, had recently moved through the Strait of Hormuz from the Gulf and was ordered to stay off the coast of Yemen as a precaution, officials said.
Washington could also opt to use aircraft from airfields in Djibouti or elsewhere in the region for an evacuation.
The powerful Huthi militia have fought pitched battles with government forces this week as they press for more political power.
At least 18 people were killed as the gunmen seized Hadi's offices at the presidential palace and attacked his residence.
Yemen's government is seen as a key ally in the fight against Al-Qaeda, which has long operated in the unstable Gulf nation.
US intelligence agencies view Al-Qaeda in Yemen as the most dangerous branch of the extremist network
It has a record of launching attacks on Western targets, including a bid to blow up an airliner over Michigan on Christmas Day in 2009, and claimed responsibility for this month's jihadist killings in Paris.
The United States has for years provided military assistance to Yemen's security forces battling Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and carried out drone strikes against the group.
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