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Momentum toward peace in Yemen spurred by Iran-Saudi rapprochement: UN

Wednesday, 15 March 2023 6:20 PM [ Last Update: Thursday, 16 March 2023 3:41 PM ]

The file photo shows a session of the United Nations Security Council. (By Reuters)

UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg says momentum to end the conflict in Yemen has been renewed by a deal between Saudi Arabia and Iran to resume ties.

During a briefing at the Security Council, Grundberg urged the warring parties to "seize the opportunity" to take decisive steps toward peace.

"The parties must seize the opportunity presented by this regional and international momentum to take decisive steps towards a more peaceful future."

"Intense diplomatic efforts are ongoing at different levels to bring the conflict in Yemen to an end," said Grundberg, who visited Tehran earlier this week. "We are currently witnessing renewed regional diplomatic momentum, as well as a step change in the scope and depth of the discussions."

The envoy said a UN-brokered truce agreed in Yemen in April 2022 has largely held despite expiring in October without agreement between the parties to extend it. "The overall military situation in Yemen continues to be relatively stable ... But this is fragile."

"The truce can only be a steppingstone. We urgently need to build on what was achieved by the truce and work toward a nationwide ceasefire and an inclusive political settlement to end the conflict in Yemen," Grundberg said.

In a meeting with Grundberg in Tehran on Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian reaffirmed Tehran’s support for the continuation of the ceasefire and the end of the Saudi-led blockade on Yemen. He said Iran supports any dialogue which would help promote peace and stability in Yemen.

After several days of intensive negotiations hosted by China, Iran and Saudi Arabia finally clinched a deal on Friday to restore diplomatic relations and re-open embassies and missions within two months.

Former Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal recently expressed optimism that the agreement between Tehran and Riyadh will be a “game-changer” for West Asia.

Ex-Saudi intel chief hopes Tehran-Riyadh deal will be ‘game-changer’ for region

Former Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal has expressed optimism that the latest agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia will be a “game-changer” for the West Asia region.

Saudi Arabia and its allies launched the devastating war on Yemen in March 2015 with armed and logistical support from their Western partners, leaving hundreds of thousands of Yemenis dead.

The war also displaced millions of people, rendering them homeless, while destroying the country’s infrastructure and spawning the contemporary age’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.

The most recent truce, which began in April 2022, had rekindled hopes of peace, but the Saudi-led coalition breached the terms of the ceasefire agreement, prompting Yemenis to continue resistance.

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