Iran FM: Tehran always ready to help settle Yemen crisis

In an interview with BBC’s Arabic service, he added that Iran has from the beginning of Yemeni crisis urged dialogue with Saudi Arabia to help solve the country’s plight but the Saudis opposed the proposal.

“I wrote a letter to former Saudi foreign minister Saud Al-Faysal at the beginning of the crisis in Yemen with the aim of putting an end to the crisis with the help Iran and Saudi Arabia. But the answer was negative and they said in response that Arab world affairs do not concern Iran,” he said.

The reason for their opposition was that they thought that they would soon achieve victory in the war on Yemen, Zarif said.

After Saudi military attack on the impoverished country, Iran proposed ceasefire and direct talks between Yemeni groups but they turned it down, he said.

Although the war entered its fourth year with many civilians killed in Yemen, there is still chance for finding a political solution, Zarif, said, noting that if Saudi Arabia intends to solve the issue peacefully, Iran can serve as a good partner in this respect.

Any solution to Yemeni crisis should be achieved through dialogue and negotiations among Yemenis, he said, urging foreign parties to take practical actions to find a political solution to the issue rather than uttering words only.
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