Iran welcomes Houthi peace plan to end Yemen war 

Iran has welcomed the peace plan proposed by the Houthi movement in Yemen, saying that it conveys a “strong message” to end the seven-year war in the country, which has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives.

The Houthis announced a three-day unilateral ceasefire on Saturday, and voiced their commitment to a permanent truce if the Saudi Arabia-led coalition stops air strikes and withdraws its forces. The announcement came a day after the movement had launched a series of drone and missile attacks on targets in the Kingdom.

“The plan conveys a strong message of firm determination to end the war, lift the oppressive siege on the people and find a political resolution to the crisis in Yemen,” said Saeed Khatibzadeh, the spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry. He added that if the coalition interacts seriously and positively with the ceasefire plan, it could form good grounds for ending the war.

On Monday, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi, called on the Saudi government not to “miss” the opportunity for a ceasefire. “There is no room for them to escape from the blows except by stopping the aggression, lifting the siege and ending the occupation in Yemen,” he insisted.

The Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support the internationally recognised government, after the Iranian-backed Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014.

Khatibzadeh explained that he hoped to see an end to the conflict and national reconciliation in Yemen on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan, by giving priority to “humanitarian issues and the process of exchanging prisoners.”

The coalition has not yet commented on the Houthi proposal.

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