The unnamed Iranian official said that in talks with the visiting Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Martin Griffiths Tehran has stressed that Washington's remarks about the war in Yemen are not enough and that the United States must take practical steps to end this war.
"Griffiths stressed the importance of an immediate cessation of the war in Yemen and an end to the blockade to advance the political solution," he added.
"Griffiths said the current situation is ripe for ending the war in Yemen and starting peace talks," the Iranian official informed.
"We [Iran] explained to Griffiths that any initiative should begin with a cessation of the Yemeni war, a ceasefire and an end to the siege," he said, "We told Griffiths that the Biden government's statements were not enough and that they should take steps to end the war in Yemen."
"We also emphasized that the recognition of the Yemeni National Salvation Government would accelerate the process of ending the crisis."
Martin Griffiths arrived in Tehran on Sunday to consult with the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran on resolving the Yemeni crisis.
He met and held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, The Chief of Iran’s Strategic Council on Foreign Policy Kamal Kharrazi, and other Iranian senior ranking officials.
Saudi Arabia and a number of its regional allies launched the war on Yemen in March 2015, with the goal of bringing the government of Riyadh-allied former president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi back to power and crushing the popular Houthi movement.
The United Nations has highlighted the need for a ceasefire in Yemen and warned that the Saudi-led aggression has claimed tens of thousands of lives in the impoverished Arab country over the last six years.
The war has also taken a heavy toll on Yemen's infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and factories. The UN says over 24 million Yemenis are in dire need of humanitarian aid, including 10 million suffering from extreme levels of hunger.
HJ/FNA13991121000133
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