CAIRO — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud announced on March 22 an initiative for a political settlement in Yemen, as the Yemeni crisis enters its seventh year.
Speaking at a press conference in Riyadh, Prince Faisal said that in coordination with the United Nations, Oman and US special envoy for Yemen Timothy Lenderking, Saudi Arabia aims to end the war in Yemen through this initiative.
He said the initiative involves a cease-fire monitored by the UN at all fronts throughout Yemen; partially reopening the airport in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa; and allowing fuel and food imports into the country via the seaport of Hodeidah. The initiative also includes the establishment of a sharing mechanism of the airport and seaport customs between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthis, the salary disbursement of all government employees through a joint bank account and the resumption of political talks.
The war in Yemen erupted on March 25, 2015, after the Saudi-led coalition of Arab countries, including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, launched Operation Decisive Storm against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, who are allied with forces loyal to late President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was ousted in the 2011 revolution. The Yemeni war soon turned into a proxy war between Tehran and Riyadh.
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