The support and freedom provided by the United States to the Saudi-led military attacks in Yemen and a lack of political will are to blame for the bloody conflict in the Arab world’s poorest country, says a former foreign minister.
"The main reason for the continuation of the crisis in Yemen is the latitude given by the US to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to continue their bombings and the [international] lack of political will to resolve the crisis," Kamal Kharazi, head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, said in a meeting with a delegation from the Berghof Foundation visiting Tehran, ISNA reported on Tuesday.
The German-based Berghof Foundation is an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization that supports efforts to prevent political and social violence, and to achieve sustainable peace through conflict transformation.
During the meeting, Kharazi commented on developments in Syria, saying that the US and western support for terrorist groups had plunged the country into turmoil.
"Iran will continue its efforts to help find a political settlement to the Syrian crisis," he added.
On the nuclear deal with world powers, the official said Europe should resist the mounting US pressure if it wants to protect its credibility.
Oliver Wils, director of Berghof Foundation's Middle East and North Africa Program, said a lack of concrete action by western countries have caused the conflicting parties in Yemen to disregard the critical need for peace and stop the bloodletting.
He expressed the hope that the situation in war-torn Syria will be resolved through dialogue.
More than 10,000 people have been killed by the Saudi-led war in Yemen and 8.4 million are on the brink of famine.
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