Iranian forces were in Sanaa to support the Houthi militants, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassine told Al-Arabiya in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, on Friday.
He also told Al Jazeera TV that President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi will seek a “Marshall Plan” from Arab leaders to aid his war-torn country.
“Hadi will discuss with Arab leaders a Marshall plan to aid Yemen,” Riad Yassine was quoted as saying, referring to a major economic stimulus for Europe after World War Two.
Yassine said that hopes for a resumption of dialogue between Hadi and the Houthis remained slim given the current fighting. “Until things calm down, now is not the time for dialogue,” he told Al Jazeera, but added that he hoped Riyadh would be a future venue for the talks.
Meanwhile, Yemen’s former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is the main architect of Yemen’s chaos, called Friday for a cease-fire and the resumption of UN-brokered dialogue between warring parties.
In a statement, Saleh urged a “simultaneous” halt in military operations in Yemen and for dialogue to take place in the UAE.
Meanwhile, several Yemeni soldiers on Friday deserted from the 33rd brigade, which is one of the many units loyal to Saleh, sources told Al Arabiya News Channel.
In a separate development, at least 21 Shiite rebels were killed Friday when residents in a tribal southern region opened fire at their vehicles, a local official and witnesses told AFP.
Yemeni FM says Iranian forces were aiding Houthis
Yemeni FM says Iranian forces were aiding Houthis
