Iran spokesman: Yemen crisis has no military solution

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry renewed a call for the political settlement of the crisis in Yemen, saying the blockade of the Arab country and military strikes would get nowhere and only escalate regional tensions.

Asked about the latest developments in Yemen, Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday that the siege and military strikes are no solution to the Yemen crisis and such acts will only escalate tensions in the region.

He added that Iran has always supported a political solution based on ending the blockade on the Yemeni people, ending the war, avoiding interference in the country’s internal affairs, and preserving the country’s territorial integrity.

Tehran also underlines the need to prevent an escalation of the humanitarian catastrophe in Yemen, the spokesman stated.

Regarding the escalation of regional tensions, Khatibzadeh said Iran has always underlined that no regional crises can be resolved through resorting to war and violence and one can be hopeful to achieve peace and stability in the region in a peaceful atmosphere and avoiding the continuation of tensions and the cycle of violence, the Foreign Ministry reported.

The spokesman finally underscored the fact that Yemen’s problems are internal, saying Iran is ready to participate in any initiative that would end the 7-year war on Yemen.

Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies have been carrying out deadly airstrikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive former president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

The war has killed tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, and resulted in what the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Some 3.3 million people have been displaced from their homes and 24 million, or more than 80 percent of the population, are in need of aid, according to the UN.