Should Saudi Arabia test Iran’s offer of diplomacy on Yemen?
Iranian officials offer diplomatic initiative and warnings on Yemen; book burning in Giza; Kremlin ignored Israeli objections on missile system sale to Iran; Russian "soft power" in the Middle East.
Zarif: Yemen a "good place to start"
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein-Amir Abdollahian claimed credit for Iran in helping broker a pause in Saudi airstrikes in Yemen last week, but warned of the consequences should Saudi Arabia continue its attacks.
Ali Hashem reports that Iran, working with Omani officials, “conveyed a serious message to Saudi Arabia, that the Houthi movement is capable of responding to Saudi coalition air raids on Yemen inside Saudi Arabia through its mid-range missiles and anti-aircraft rockets that had not yet been used. A Houthi source in Sanaa told Al-Monitor over the phone that the group’s leadership decided to adopt what it called strategic patience in an attempt not to make a consensus difficult.”
Abdollahian told Al-Monitor, “Iran backs a political path and stresses the importance of dialogue. … If Saudi Arabia continues its aggression on Yemen, this will block the political path. This will pose a real threat to regional security and stability.”
