UN must act to stop Saudi killing in Yemen: Iran official

A senior Iranian official has called on the United Nations to take effective measures to put an end to Saudi Arabia’s airstrikes against Yemen and its killing of people in the impoverished Arab state.

“The United Nations is expected to take effective, clear and deterrent action regarding Saudi Arabia’s aggression and the blatant killing of the defenseless Yemeni people, which are in violation of international regulations,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir Abdollahian said in a Monday telephone conversation with Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the UN secretary general’s new envoy to Yemen.

The Iranian official urged the UN and international aid organizations to launch their campaign as soon as possible in a bid to end the ongoing crisis in Yemen.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to carry out any necessary measures in order to send humanitarian aid to the oppressed and defenseless Yemeni people,” Amir Abdollahian said.

The Iranian official’s remarks came as an Iranian cargo ship carrying humanitarian aid to the people in Yemen has set sail for the impoverished Arab country.

Saudi Arabia started its military aggression against Yemen on March 26 – without a UN mandate – in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement and to restore power to the fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh.

According to the latest UN figures, the Saudi military campaign has so far claimed the lives of over 1,400 people and injured close to 6,000, roughly half of whom have been civilians.

Cheikh Ahmed, for his part, said Iran plays an important role in regional developments and added that the UN is trying to hold consultations with Tehran to find solutions to regional woes.

The envoy added that the UN has concentrated its efforts on the establishment of a lasting ceasefire in Yemen, national dialog in the country and the dispatch of relief aid to the Yemenis.