Iran Welcomes UN-Brokered Truce in Yemen, Hopes for Permanent End to War

By Staff, Agencies

Iran has welcomed a two-month ceasefire brokered by the United Nations between the Saudi-led invading coalition and Yemen’s popular Ansarullah resistance movement.

In a statement on Saturday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh expressed hope that the ceasefire could be a prelude to the complete lifting of the siege on Yemen and the establishment of a permanent truce in line with efforts aimed at finding a political solution to the crisis.

He further stressed Tehran’s support for a political and humanitarian solution to the Yemen conflict.

On the eve of Ramadan, he added, the Islamic Republic hopes to see improved humanitarian conditions as well as a full exchange of prisoners between the warring sides by assigning top priority to humanitarian issues and the continuation of the ceasefire.

Under the truce, which would come into effect on Saturday at 7 p.m. local time [1600 GMT], the warring parties have accepted to halt all offensive military operations, including cross-border attacks.

They have also agreed for fuel ships to enter Hudaydah port and for commercial flights to operate from the airport in the capital, Sana’a, to predetermined destinations in the region.

The parties have further agreed to meet under the auspices of the UN special envoy to open roads in Taizz and other Yemeni provinces. 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said the truce “must be a first step to ending Yemen’s devastating war,” calling on the warring sides to build on the opportunity to “resume an inclusive and comprehensive Yemeni political process.”

Saudi Arabia launched the bloody war against Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its allies and with arms and logistics support from the US and several Western states.