Yemen Houthis fire missile, say it retaliates for Saudi “crimes”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran had acted responsibly about all regional crises in Syria, Yemen, and Bahrain, proposing the best option for the conflicts; however, Saudis only played a destructive role instead, brining doom of these countries”.

The official said contacts were underway between GPC members inside and outside Yemen to take steps aimed at isolating Saleh.

Bolstered by heavy weaponry and Gulf troops as well as Yemeni fighters trained in Saudi Arabia, the anti-rebel fighters since July have retaken Aden as well as four other southern provinces.

He expresses disappointment that talks, which were supposed to have begun last month, never materialized.

“I believe that the matter of the end of hostilities lies entirely with the Houthis and with Saleh”, Adel Al Jubeir said, referring to former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Eliasson told VOA he hopes both sides will come to the talks without pre-conditions and that they will adhere to a cease-fire during the political process ahead.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, said the decision to fight the Houthi militias in Yemen was the right one. He warned of the dangers of terrorism gaining a greater foothold the longer this war and others in the region continue.

He stressed the urgency of starting the talks, pointing out that “Al Qaeda has increased its influence and their territorial control because of this war”.

“We certainly have seen the effects of the bombings and the military activities on the ground, which has destroyed even civilian targets and has had an enormously unsafe humanitarian effect”, he said.

The leader of Yemen’s Houthis has urged all followers to head to war fronts to repel what he called invaders, a reference to an Arab coalition that intervened to overturn the rule of his Iranian-allied group over large parts of the country. The Houthis say their rise to power is a revolution against corrupt officials beholden to Saudi Arabia and the West. Air strikes and ground fighting have killed at least 5,400 Yemenis, according to the United Nations, but near daily air attacks by the Arab alliance on Yemeni missile depots appear not to have exhausted their supply.