Tehran: Denouncing the air strikes led by Saudi Arabia against Yemen's Houthi rebels, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Thursday called for a ceasefire, and said that the bombing campaign in the strife-torn nation was a “mistake”.
Saudi Arabia-led coalition has been bombarding Shiite Houthi rebels of Yemen for last two weeks, but despite the air strikes , the rebels have managed to make gains and are closing in on Aden.
Yemen is witnessing a dire humanitarian situation resulting from intense clashes between Iranian-backed Houthi rebels and supporters of embattled President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who was forced to flee the nation by advancing rebels.
In his speech in Tehran, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani warned the coalition against killing innocent children and instead called for humanitarian assistance to the suffering people of Yemen.
"To the countries in the region, I say, let's adopt the spirit of brotherhood, let's respect each other and other nations. A nation does not give in through bombing," said Rouhani. "Do not kill innocent children. Let's think about an end to the war, about ceasefire and humanitarian assistance to the suffering people of Yemen."
He said a campaign of airstrikes and bombardment is "wrong," citing examples of Syria and Iraq, where a US-led coalition is targeting Islamic State militants.
"You will learn, not later but soon, that you are making mistake in Yemen, too," Rouhani said, without naming any single country.
Rouhani's warnings against Saudi Arabia's bombing campaign in Yemen comes at a time when tensions are high between Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and its Shiite rival Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif held talks Thursday in Islamabad with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in an effort to push for Yemen peace talks.
Zarif, who arrived in Islamabad on Wednesday, has said that Iran is ready to facilitate peace talks that would lead to a broad-based government in Yemen.
Zarif's visit comes as Pakistan's parliament is debating whether to contribute forces to the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemen's Houthi rebels.
Meanwhile, humanitarian groups in Yemen say they are running out of supplies and have called for a temporary halt to the fighting to allow aid into the country. The World Health Organization said Tuesday at least 560 people have been killed in the past weeks and 1,768 have been wounded, many of them civilians. It said another 100,000 have fled their homes.
With Agency Inputs
