27 Dec 2024
Tuesday 28 April 2015 - 13:02
Story Code : 162533

Iran's Zarif, UN's Eliasson discuss crises in Syria, Yemen

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and UN Undersecretary-General Jan Eliasson voiced concern over the ongoing disputes in the Middle East, and called for the peaceful settlement of crises in Syria and Yemen.

In a meeting on the sidelines of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference in New York on Monday, the two sides discussed current developments in Yemen, and underlined the need for holding broad-based talks on Yemen.

Zarif further underscored the vital importance of the UN's role in establishing the Yemeni talks.

In the meantime, the two officials called for the reinvigoration of international efforts to find a peaceful and diplomatic solution to the over four-year-long crisis in Syria.

On Saturday, United Nations Secretary Generals envoy for the Syrian affairs Staffan de Mistura said Iran will be invited to partake in the consultations on Syria which will start in early May in Geneva.

De Mistura reminded that Iran was a member country of the United Nations and an important player in the region enjoying influence of the Syrian developments. So, he said, the United Nations and he himself had all the rights to invite that country.

Earlier this month, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani called for a UN fact-finding mission in Yemen to report on the results of the Saudi-led coalition's indiscriminate attacks on targets in the poor nation, warning that an overwhelming majority of the victims have been defenseless civilians.

Saudi Arabia launched its bombing campaign against Yemen on March 26 in an attempt to restore power to fugitive President Mansour Hadi, a staunch ally of Riyadh.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

The Monarchy's attacks have so far claimed the lives of at least 3,023 civilians, mostly women and children.

Last week and after four weeks of bombings, Riyadh declared end to military operations in Yemen, but Saudi warplanes are still bombing residential areas across the war-ravaged nation one week after.

By Fars News Agency
https://theiranproject.com/vdcjt8evtuqemiz.92fu.html
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