UN Urged to Stop Saudi Attacks on Yemeni Civilians

A senior Iranian official said attacks on homes, mosques, schools and hospitals run by the UN in Yemen have resulted in the deaths of innocent people.

Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made the statement in an address to the high-level panel of the UN Human Rights Council in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday, Press TV reported.

The deputy minister warned that the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has also created a power vacuum and offered the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula the opportunity to strengthen its foothold there.

He urged the international community not to stand idly in the face of the bombardment of Yemeni civilians, which could amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, but rather use all means to end the massacre and bring those responsible to justice.

Araqchi warned about the rise of terrorist outfits in the Middle East besides Islamophobic and xenophobic groups in the West, saying that "extremist ideologies—manifested in violent radicalism—have ravaged the Middle East, while distorting and defaming a great religion and demolishing great civilizations at the same time".

He warned that these radical and xenophobic groups pose a significant challenge to the realization of human rights.

The deputy foreign minister underlined the need for efforts to eliminate the root causes of extremism and the vicious cycle of extremist ideologies, which tend to brainwash the youth into perpetrating acts of terror. He called for an end to the ideological, financial and military support for violent extremists such as the self-styled Islamic State terrorist group, demanding an immediate cessation of the marginalization and disrespect for religions such as Islam and their followers.

Araqchi emphasized the significance of President Hassan Rouhani's 2013 proposal for the World Against Violence and Extremism, saying world leaders need to fully implement the provisions envisaged in the initiative amid efforts to eradicate terrorist outfits.

In December 2013, the UN General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to approve a resolution approving Rouhani's WAVE proposal, which calls on all nations to denounce violence and extremism.