Yemen

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has reiterated his country’s support for a ceasefire in Yemen and a return to talks during a visit to Oman where he met a spokesman for the Houthi rebel group.

Zarif’s comments on Wednesday came a day after the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, which has been militarily supporting Yemen’s internationally recognised government against the Houthis, called on the rebels to cease hostilities and return to the negotiating table.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels have made major gains in the battle for the government’s last northern stronghold, advancing close to the center of Marib city despite heavy casualties, military sources said Sunday.

The UN Special Envoy for Yemen appealed on Thursday for warring parties to implement a nationwide ceasefire and agree a date for peace talks, in line with a plan to end their conflict. Briefing the Security Council, Martin Griffiths highlighted international unity in support of ending six years of fighting between Yemeni Government forces, backed by a Saudi-led coalition, and the Ansar Allah movement, also known as the Houthis. 

A spokesman for the Houthi movement says the group carried out drone attacks targeting positions in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh, amid diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire in war-torn Yemen.

Saudi Arabia has offered Yemen’s Houthi rebels a nationwide ceasefire in a series of proposals aimed at ending the brutal six-year war in the country, including the partial lifting of the blockade on Sana’a international airport and some seaports. Riyadh also said it would support a UN humanitarian corridor in the oil-rich city of Marib, which has been under months of bombardment by the Houthis.

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The Saudi-led blockade of Yemen must be lifted before a ceasefire agreement can be reached, a Houthi rebel spokesman has said amid UN calls for an immediate halt to fighting.

International efforts to end the war in Yemen are stuck in an outdated two-party paradigm, seeking to mediate between the Huthis and their foes. As it pushes for renewed talks, the UN should broaden the scope to include Yemeni women’s and other civil society groups.

The UN’s top official in Yemen has warned of a “dramatic” deterioration in the country’s ongoing conflict, telling the Security Council on Tuesday that fighting has expanded on several fronts amid the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. 

Demonstrators disperse shortly after breaking into Maashiq Presidential Palace amid public anger over the dire economic situation.

The U.S. State Department said on Thursday that “some hopeful progress” has been made toward a ceasefire in Yemen, but more commitment was needed from the parties to the civil war. The comments were in a statement on a just-concluded visit to the region by Timothy Lenderking, the U.S. special envoy for Yemen, aimed at bolstering U.N.-led efforts to end the conflict and stem a growing humanitarian disaster.