Iranian, UN Envoys Hold Talks on Yemen

An Iranian senior diplomat on Monday held talks the United Nations envoy on Yemen within the framework of the Islamic Republic’s consultations for the settlement of the crisis and achieving sustainable peace in the war-ravaged country. 
The discussions were held via video-link between Iran’s senior assistant to the foreign minister for special political affairs, Ali Asghar Khaji, and the UN Special Representative for Yemeni Affairs, Hans Grundberg, according the foreign ministry’s website. 
In this conversation, the two sides discussed the latest developments related to Yemen and exchanged views on the process of Sanaa negotiations, as well as the available solutions to address the Yemen crisis.
Khaji expressed his satisfaction with the recent openings, especially the direct negotiations between Saudi Arabia and Ansarullah in Sanaa, and called for facilitation of the transfer of humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people.
Hans Grundberg explained the measures taken by the UN to advance the peace talks in Yemen, and emphasized the necessity of continuing political talks with the aim of building trust and reaching an agreement between the parties.
Yemen has been grappling with a civil war since 2014 between Houthi fighters, supported by Iran, and the ousted government of Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, who is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. 
The war has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with a staggering 21.6 million people in need of some form of humanitarian assistance as 80 percent of the country struggling to put food on the table and access basic services, according to UN data. 
Hopes have flared up for an ultimate solution to the crisis after Iran and Saudi Arabia, who support opposite parties in the conflict, reconciliated in March. 
The Tehran-Riyadh normalization is also seen as a positive development which could contribute to the de-escalation of tensions across the broader region. 

CAPTION: Iranian and UN diplomats held talks on Yemen via video-link on Monday.