Iran says deal with Saudi Arabia will help end Yemen’s war
Associated PressCAIRO — Iran’s mission to the United Nations says a breakthrough agreement with Saudi Arabia restoring bilateral relations will help bring a political settlement to Yemen’s yearslong war, Iranian state media reported on Sunday. Soon after exploding in 2014, Yemen’s conflict turned into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia, which led a military coalition backing Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and Iran, which has aided the country’s Houthi rebels. Citing a statement from Iran’s U.N. mission, IRNA news agency said the deal with Saudi Arabia would accelerate efforts to renew an expired cease-fire deal, “help start a national dialogue, and form an inclusive national government in Yemen.” The month cease-fire, the longest of the Yemen conflict, expired in October. “The Yemeni government’s position depends on actions and practices not words and claims,” it said, adding it would proceed cautiously “until observing a true change in behavior.” Abdel-Bari Taher, a Yemeni political commentator and former Journalists’ Union head, called the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal a “positive first step.” He urged both Tehran and Riyadh to further pressure their allies in Yemen to end the conflict and ease tensions elsewhere in the region.