Saudi King Salman bin Abdelaziz stressed on the importance of reaching a political solution for the political crisis in Yemen, condemning the Iranian support for the Houthi rebel movement and interfering in the Arab region’s affairs.
During his speech in the opening of the EU-Arab league Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, Salman said: “The kingdom [Saudi Arabia] stresses the importance of reaching a political solution for the Yemeni crisis, based on the Gulf initiative and the outcomes of the Yemeni national dialogue, as well as the resolution 2216 of the UN Security Council.”
It is important to exert more international efforts for supporting “legitimacy” in Yemen and forcing the “terrorist Houthi militia” which is supported by Iran, to follow the international community’s will.
Salman criticised Iran for its support of different militias in the region, and its “aggressive interventions” in the region’s affairs. He called on the international community to adopt a unified stance to force Iran to respect its neighbouring countries and suspend its nuclear project.
The Saudi king noted that his country has exerted great efforts to support the Sweden negotiations between the Yemeni rival parties, calling for implementing the outcomes of Sweden meeting held last month.
The Yemeni crisis remains a big challenge for Riyadh. The kingdom formed the Coalition for Supporting Legitimacy in Yemen in March 2015, following the Ansar Allah Al-Houthi group seized control of the Yemeni capital Sanaa in September 2014.
Besides Saudi Arabia, the coalition includes the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bahrain, Pakistan, Djibouti, Sudan, Senegal, Kuwait, Morocco, Malaysia, and Egypt, as well as the internationally recognised government of Yemen.
