Iran Backs Efforts to End Yemen Blockade
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Nasser Kanaani reaffirmed Tehran’s support for the extension of the ceasefire in Yemen and the removal of the blockade on the Arab country.
Speaking to reporters at a press conference on Monday, Kanaani said Iran has always rejected a military solution to the crisis in Yemen and has called for the political settlement of the conflict with the participation of all Yemeni parties.
Highlighting Iran’s support for the extension of the ceasefire in the Arab country and the complete removal of the blockade on Yemen, the spokesman said, “It is the Yemeni nation that can decide the fate of their country. Nobody is allowed to make a decision on the fate of Yemen in place of Yemenis.”
Kanaani said Iran is still involved in the process of initiatives proposed by Oman for peace in Yemen and has always played a positive role in this regard.
The Iranian spokesman expressed hope that the new conditions in the region would result in the formation of a sustainable ceasefire in Yemen for the benefit of the Yemeni people.
Saudi Arabia and its allies launched a war on Yemen in March 2015 with armed and logistical support from the US and other Western powers, leaving hundreds of thousands of Yemenis dead.
The war has also displaced millions of people, destroyed the country’s infrastructure, and spawned the world’s worst humanitarian catastrophe.
A UN-brokered ceasefire between the Ansarullah resistance movement and the self-proclaimed Yemeni regime, which is supported by Saudi Arabia, took effect on April 2, 2022, but it expired six months later.
In a statement issued on the ceasefire’s anniversary, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg called the ceasefire a “moment of hope” and said it was largely holding.
He also noted favorably that Iran welcomed the Yemen truce a year ago.