Saudi-led Coalition Intensifies Attacks to Impede Yemen Talks: Iran

Qassemi expressed regret over the repeated postponement of Yemeni-Yemeni talks and said unfortunately the recent history shows that Saudi Arabia and the UAE intensify their aggression in Yemen to stop the beginning of the talks whenever they come to understand that attempts to start the negotiations are getting closer to bearing fruit.  

In a Monday statement, he expressed the Islamic Republic’s deep concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen, saying that the world today must shoulder the historical responsibility of ending the catastrophe in the war-torn country.

Qassemi made the comments in reaction to the latest developments in Yemen and the worsening situation in the country particularly after the relentless bombardment of residential areas and medical centres in the port city of Hudaydah by Saudi and Emirati warplanes.

He referred to the volatile situation created by the Saudi-led airstrikes on the residents of Hudaydah, and said the Islamic Republic is deeply worried about the dire humanitarian situation in the country.

“Iran blames the aggressors’ indifference to the warnings and concerns expressed by the international community for the current inhumane situation in Yemen,” he said, adding that over the past four years, the aggressors have relentlessly targeted the innocent and defenceless people of Yemen by their warplanes.

The spokesman then praised the “timely” remarks made by Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, on the current situation in Yemen.

The concerns and outrage expressed by Bachelet about the dire situation and the high death toll in Yemen and her call for an end to the sufferings of civilians in the war-torn country are timely and consistent with the bitter reality on the ground, he noted.

The spokesman urged the international community to take the concerns and outrage seriously.

According to Qassemi, the Islamic Republic has always called for an end to the violence in Yemen.

“Amid the current situation, in addition to their political and legal obligations, all states and the international community, organizations and bodies also have an ethical responsibility to show their strong will to put an end to aggressors’ violence in Yemen and adopt appropriate measures to this end,” he said.

The spokesmen finally underlined the need to adopt immediate measures to end the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and said the Islamic Republic of Iran has set forth its proposal to end the crisis based on a totally humanitarian approach since years ago.

According to the spokesman, Iran still insists on its plan and expresses its preparedness to establish cooperation with the international community to improve the humanitarian situation in Yemen.

“We seriously believe that attempts to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen amount to a historical responsibility for today’s world and the ground should be prepared soon for stopping violence against Yemenis and dispatching aid to the war-torn country,” he concluded.

Earlier, the UN Secretary General said the destruction of the Yemeni flashpoint city of Hudaydah could lead to a catastrophe.

Antonio Guterres’s comments came as the ongoing battle between Ansarullah forces and Saudi-backed troops has so far killed dozens in Hudaydah. According to medics, some one hundred and ten Ansarullah fighters as well as 32 Saudi-backed forces were killed in clashes over the past 24 hours only.