Iran’s Zarif Due in Oman to Discuss Yemeni Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif plans to leave Tehran for the Omani capital of Muscat on Wednesday to hold talks on a range of issues, including the latest developments in the crisis-hit Yemen.
“Given the sensitivity and importance of the current developments in the region, the foreign minister will set off for Muscat to exchange views with Omani officials over the regional developments, including situation in Yemen,” Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham announced on Tuesday.
She also said that after his trip to Oman, Zarif will leave for Pakistan with the aim of discussing bilateral relations between Tehran and Islamabad as well as ways to boost cooperation between the two neighboring countries.
In his meetings with Pakistani officials, Zarif also plans to examine the latest regional and international developments, Afkham said.
On March 26, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies began to militarily interfere in Yemen's internal affairs by launching deadly air strikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.
The Saudi-led coalition, including military forces from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Egypt, Sudan, Bahrain, Morocco, Jordan, and Egypt, has killed hundreds of civilians so far.
International agencies have expressed growing alarm over rising civilian casualties in Yemen.