Local Editor

Iran’s parliament speaker, Ali Larijani, said on Saturday that the crises in Yemen and Syria can be resolved only if the wills of the two nations are taken into regard.

"Some powerful countries proposed plans to resolve the crises in Yemen and Syria. We believe that such proposals would not work, since they do not address the wills of the nations," Larijani told reporters on Saturday before leaving Iran’s capital, Tehran, to attend the fourth world conference of the Speakers of Parliaments in New York.

He pointed to the deadly military aggression against the Yemeni people, saying political dialog is the only way out of the crisis in the impoverished country. "Some countries suppose that they can solve problems through pressure and militarism, but the age of such theories is long over."

Moreover, he stated that Iran is going to offer new plans for fighting terrorism and promoting peace at the upcoming conference.

"There is a great gap between words and deeds. We see wars in the battlefields and in conferences, everyone talks about democracy," Larijani noted, adding that during his speech at the conference, he will try to define how democracy can realistically and practically promote peace in the region and the world.

Some 180 parliamentary leaders from 140 countries are going to take part in the New York conference. The conference, which is to focus on tackling the challenges to peace and democracy, will be held from August 31 to September 2.

A Saudi-led coalition backed by the United States has been carrying out a military aggression on Yemen by launching airstrikes against the country since March 26. The airstrikes have not been authorized by the United Nations [UN].

The ’civilian’ death toll in Yemen has risen to at least 1,916, with another 4,186 civilians wounded since the escalation of the conflict in March, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights [OHCHR] reported recently this month.