27 Apr 2024
Monday 18 May 2015 - 17:09
Story Code : 165048

Iran says Saudi Arabia should not be hosting Yemen talks

A senior adviser to Ayatollah Seyyed AliKhamenei, the Leader of Irans Islamic Revolution, says ending Saudi Arabia's extremely savage bombardments should be a precondition for any talks on Yemen's situation.

Ali Akbar Velayati said Monday that any discussionon the Arab countrys future should be mediated by international entities and should only be attendedby Yemenis.

Thiscan be donewith the mediation of an international organization such as the United Nations and only betweenYemeni sides and atan impartial location, said Velayati, who is currently in Lebanon to take part inan international meetingon Palestine.

Referring to an ongoing conference on Yemen's situation in the Saudi capital city of Riyadh, Velayati reiterated that such meetings should be held in a neutral country as the Saudis themselves arepart of the conflict, adding that internal the affairs of Yemen have nothing to do with other states, including Saudi Arabia.



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"] Yemen's fugitive President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi (C) arrives for the opening of a conference on Yemen in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on May 17, 2015. AFP[/caption]

Saudi Arabia launched its military aggression against Yemen on March 26 - without a UN mandate - in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement, which currently controls the capital, Sanaa, and other major provinces, and to restore power to Yemens fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is a staunch ally of Riyadh.

According to Yemen'sFreedom House Foundation,the Saudiairstrikeshave claimed the lives of at least 3,979 Yemeni peopleso far while more than 6,887 others have been wounded.

Syria, Lebanon can defeat extremism

Elsewhere in his remarks, Velayati touched upon the rising wave of terrorist activities in Middle East countries, includingYemen, Syria, and Iraq, adding that Islamic governments need to cooperate in the fight against terrorgroups.

He expressed hope that Syria could finally get rid of the Takfiris in order to protect its independence and sovereignty. He also voiced support forLebanons help forSyria in the fight against terrorism, saying that if the aid continues to be delivered, the people of Syria and Lebanon could be freedfrom extremism and radicalism in thevery nearfuture.



[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="555"] A handout picture released by the Hezbollah press office on May 13, 2015, shows a Hezbollah fighter raising the flag of the party on the Tallit Moussa hill on the Syrian side of the Qalamoun area close to the Lebanese borders. AFP[/caption]

Over the past two weeks, Syrian army forces and Lebanon's resistance group Hezbollah have made considerable gains in the battle against Takfiri militants in Qalamoun border region, raising hopes for the full liberation of the strategic area in the coming days.
Hezbollahs contribution to the battle comes amid fears the deadly crisis in Syria, which has claimed the lives of over 222,000 people duringthe past four years, could spill over into neighboring Lebanon, a country deeply divided along the sectarian lines.

By Press TV
https://theiranproject.com/vdcdok0fjyt09z6.em2y.html
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