Following days of intensified political turmoil with the forced resignation of the Yemen president, Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi, the Pentagon confirmed that the U.S. government is holding talks with Yemen's Houthis. The Pentagon statement suggests that the U.S. has found a way to maintain pressure on al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), therefore it is trying to build ties with the country's parties in the absence of a solid political authority. The U.S.. along with the fragile central government has worked closely to capture al-Qaida militants as part of the global counter-terrorism campaign launched by the U.S."Given the [country's] political uncertainty, it is fair to say that U.S. government officials are in communication with various parties in Yemen about what is a very fluid and complex political situation," Pentagon spokesman Admiral John Kirby said."It is also accurate to say that the Houthis, as participants in ... these events, will certainly have reason to want to speak to international partners and the international community about their intentions and about how this process is going to unfold. There is no intelligence-sharing regimen with the Houthis. There is no formal agreement to do that, and you need those kinds of formal agreements in order to be able to do that," he added."[The U.S.] continues to go after high-value targets inside of Yemen and we will continue to maintain the pressure that is required to keep the American people safe," President Barack Obama said during his visit to India on Jan. 25, stressing that the U.S. will keep up its efforts to counter al-Qaida militants.Yemen is of strategic importance, as the country is located next to oil-rich Saudi Arabia and on the key shipping route from the Suez Canal to the Gulf. Yemen is also an ally of the U.S. in Washington's fight against the radical militant group al-Qaida, which poses a significant threat to Western countries. Therefore, a Western-backed, powerful central government is crucial for the U.S. to conduct a counter-terrorism strategy against radical militants. Yemen is home to al-Qaida's deadliest franchise, the AQAP, which has orchestrated numerous high-profile terrorist attacks. The fall of Hadi's Western-backed government would lead to a global fear of more terrorist attacks. Thus, the situation has become a top priority for the U.S. in order for it to secure its national interests and safeguard its citizens from attacks. Yemen also plays a significant role against Iran's influence over the violence-struck Middle Eastern region.Since former President Ali Abdullah Saleh stepped down in 2012, Yemen has been in a state of constant turmoil. In addition to the Houthi rebels, Yemen's local al-Qaida branch would also pose a significant security threat to the Yemeni government. The advance of the Iranian-allied Shia Houthi group also raises fears of the possible breakup of the country into North and South Yemen.