Iran’s diplomatic apparatus is working to ensure the continued implementation of measures in support of the people of Yemen so that they can achieve the peace they desire, a top official said.
“Iran has always welcomed intra-Yemeni negotiations for positive achievements toward peace, stability and security in this county and will continue to do so,” Kamal Kharrazi, the head of Strategic Council on Foreign relations, said in a Monday talk with Mehr News Agency.
A civil war has been raging in Yemen for about four years between the Houthi movement and forces loyal to ousted president Abd-Rabbu Mansur Hadi.
Houthis, officially known as Ansarullah, took over the government in 2014-15. Since then, they have been resisting a Saudi-led coalition that provides military support to restore Hadi to power.
The war has killed thousands of people, destroyed infrastructure and pushed the country to the verge of famine.
The United Nations has launched an initiative to facilitate negotiations between the warring sides. After a failed attempt in September, the opposing parties finally agreed to engage in dialogue at a UN-sponsored meeting in Sweden in early December, which reportedly produced a favorable outcome.
Iran, which politically backs the Houthis, voiced approval for UN efforts, calling for the constructive and responsible participation of all Yemeni parties in the talks.
“Iran has welcomed the negotiations in Stockholm because it indicated the authority of Yemeni nation,” Kharrazi said.
He noted that Saudi Arabia, which engaged in a fight against the Yemeni people and sought to force them to surrender through repeated airstrikes, faced an inconclusive war and was obliged to come to the negotiating table in the end.
“Yielding to negotiation by Saudi Arabia, which leads the intruding coalition, is by itself a victory for Ansarullah resistance forces,” he said, hoping that the agreements reached in Sweden will be lasting and eventually enable the Yemeni people to decide the fate of their country themselves.
