Yemen's president has called a meeting of political forces on May 17 to discuss his country's war that will include former associates of a powerful ally of the Houthis, a move that could bolster the ranks of opponents of the Iranian-allied force. Mukhtar al-Rahbi, press secretary at President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi's office, said neither the Houthis nor their influential ally, former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, were expected to attend the gathering, to be held in Saudi Arabia.