Local Editor

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that new solutions must be sought in order to bring about a permanent ceasefire in Yemen and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the country.

In a meeting with Omani Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah in Oman’s capital of Muscat on Tuesday, Zarif stressed the need for national inter-Yemeni dialogue and criticized the "unilateral" mechanisms adopted by certain parties to resolve the crisis in Yemen, which is being targeted with military strikes by Saudi Arabia.

"In working out solutions, one cannot ignore a considerable section of the Yemeni population," Zarif said.

He expressed deep concern over the US-led Saudi military aggression against Yemen, saying the assaults, which began on March 26, have done "irreparable damage" to the impoverished country.

Furthermore, he also praised Oman’s efforts in getting the viewpoints of all Yemeni parties involved in the conflict closer together and in facilitating negotiations among them.

For his part, the Omani official, bin Abduallah, referred to Iran’s active role in the Middle East, describing the role as positive and aimed at the resolution of regional disputes.

He further emphasized the need for sending humanitarian aid consignments to Yemen, saying that the issue is of concern to Omani officials.

Saudi Arabia began its US-led military aggression against Yemen on March 26 -- without a UN mandate -- in a bid to undermine the Houthi Ansarullah movement, and to restore power to Yemen’s fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, who is a close ally of Saudi Arabia.

According to the UN, nearly 2,000 people have been killed and 7,330 injured since March due to the conflict in Yemen.