Iran Minister in Regional Rival Saudi for Yemen Talks
A senior Iranian official arrived in Saudi Arabia Monday for talks on the Yemen conflict that has seen a Riyadh-led coalition carry out air strikes on Iran-backed rebels, Tehran said.
Deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian will attend a meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation as U.N.-sponsored peace talks between rival Yemeni factions are set to get under way in Geneva, the ministry said.
The talks in Jeddah will be the first between Iran and Saudi Arabia since the coalition launched air strikes on Shiite Huthi rebels and their Yemeni allies on March 26.
Yemen has been wracked by the conflict between the rebels and exiled President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi's internationally recognized government.
The Huthis, supported by military units loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, have seized control of large parts of the country including the capital Sanaa, forcing Hadi to flee to Aden and then Saudi Arabia.
Relations between regional Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and its Shiite rival Iran have soured during the air campaign, with Riyadh regularly accusing Tehran of arming the Huthis, a charge it denies.
Source: Agence France Presse
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