Page 15 - DMEA Week 38 2021

DMEA NEWS IN BRIEF DMEA

POLICY intervened in the war in 2015 to try to restore General Assembly (UNGA) saying that they
Hadi’s government to power but the conflict hope their talks with Iran would lead to
Houthis near Marib city, has dragged on, killing tens of thousands and tangible results.
causing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
“Iran is a neighbouring country, and we
eyeing Yemen gas and oil and U.S. envoys have been in the region to try hope that our initial talks with it will lead
The escalation in fighting comes as U.N.
to tangible results to build confidence,” the
fields to revive stalled peace talks. monarch told the UN General Assembly on
Wednesday via a video link. King Salman
REUTERS
Houthi military forces are intensifying their caveated his message by adding that he
push towards the central Yemeni city of Iran, Saudi have had hoped that cooperation would be based on
Marib, which is held by the Saudi-backed “their cessation of all forms of support for
government, and are stepping up fighting in several rounds of ‘good’ terrorist groups and sectarian militias that
the south, Houthi group and Yemeni military has brought nothing but war, destruction and
sources said on Thursday. talks in Baghdad suffering to all the people of the region,” a
After recent advances and fierce fighting, reference to Iran support for militias across
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea Iran and Saudi Arabia have had several the Middle East including the Houthi rebels in
said the group’s fighters were on the western rounds of “good” talks in Baghdad on bilateral Yemen who have targeted Saudi Arabia cities,
outskirts of Marib city and pushing up on issues in recent months, the Iranian foreign airports, and oil installations using armed
other fronts having inflicted many casualties ministry said on Thursday, a day after Saudi drones and missiles.
in recent months. Arabia expressed hope that ongoing dialogue King Salman also raised concern over Iran’s
A Yemeni government military source said would result in tangible results. nuclear program, saying that the Kingdom
Houthi forces are around 18 km west of Marib Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson finds it important that the Middle East is free
city, but the main fighting has been in the Saeed Khatibzadeh told Iranian state media of nuclear weapons.
southern region of Shabwa, which has several on Thursday adding that the talks in Baghdad “From this standpoint, the Kingdom
oil fields and the country’s sole liquified had been moving positively. supports international efforts aimed at
natural gas terminal. “We think that if the government of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear
Houthi forces are advancing into the the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pays serious weapon, and expresses its deep concern over
Assilan district in Shabwa, where the Janna oil attention to the message of the Islamic Iranian steps that contradict its commitments
field is located. Republic of Iran that the solution to the and contradict what Iran has always declared
Marib lies about 120 km (75 miles) problems in the region lies within the region that its nuclear program is peaceful,” he said.
east of the capital Sanaa, which the Iran- itself. We must reach a good comprehensive Other regional powers worried about the
aligned Houthis seized along with most of regional mechanism,” he added. growing tension between Riyadh and Tehran
north Yemen in 2014 when they ousted the While relations between Iran and Saudi have stepped in to bring the two foes to the
internationally recognised government of Arabia have been strained for decades, they negotiating tables.
President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi. took a notable dive in 2016, when Iranian In August, Iraqi moderation brought both
They have since early this year advanced on protesters attacked the Saudi diplomatic countries on the table when Baghdad hosted
three fronts towards the Marib region, which missions following the Kingdom’s execution of a summit for neighbouring countries, a step
is the government’s last northern stronghold Shiite cleric, Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr. that was at the time welcomed by Iran.
and has Yemen’s biggest gas fields. There have Khatibzadeh’s statement came after Saudi Iran’s ambassador to Iraq has previously
been many casualties on both sides. King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud on welcomed Baghdad’s efforts to mend regional
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates Wednesday spoke to the United Nations relations. “If Iraq can play any role in bringing

Week 38 23•September•2021 www. NEWSBASE .com P15