Status: 04/09/2023 8:28 p.m
A civil war has been raging in Yemen since 2014, fueled by rival regional powers Saudi Arabia and Iran. Now there are positive signals: the Saudis are apparently negotiating directly with Houthi militias, which are supported by Iran.
After years of ice age, Saudi Arabia and Iran are cautiously approaching each other again – and this normalization could also have positive consequences for the bloody civil war in Yemen. The conflict there is seen as a proxy war between the two rival regional powers. According to Yemeni information, representatives of Saudi Arabia have now arrived in Yemen’s capital Sanaa to negotiate a peace solution with the Houthi militias, which are supported by Iran. Diplomats from Oman are also to take part – Oman has already successfully mediated in the region in the past.
It is still unclear how far the talks have progressed. While Saudi Arabian officials initially declined to comment on the news, the Yemeni government told AFP that Saudi Arabia and the Houthi militia had agreed in principle to a six-month ceasefire to pave the way for three-month talks over a two-year ” transition” for the war-torn country.
“Real chance to end the conflict”
The United Nations representative for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has already described the negotiations as “the greatest progress towards a lasting peace” since the beginning of the civil war in Yemen. “This is a moment that must be seized and built upon,” Grundberg told the AP news agency. “It is a real opportunity to initiate an inclusive political process under the auspices of the United Nations to end the conflict in a sustainable way.”
Yemen’s civil war has raged since Iran-backed Shia Houthis occupied Sanaa and most of northern Yemen in 2014. The internationally recognized Sunni government fled south and later to Saudi Arabia, which intervened in 2015 as the leader of a military coalition with the United Arab Emirates, flying airstrikes on Yemen. Only last year, the parties to the conflict agreed on a six-month ceasefire. Although the agreement expired at the beginning of October and was not extended, so far it has been largely complied with.
Thaw between Riyadh and Tehran
The negotiations in Sana’a would probably not have been possible if relations between Riyadh and Tehran had not recently eased significantly: the majority Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and the majority Shiite Iran signed an agreement with China just under a month ago that refers to the aimed at re-establishing diplomatic relations. In addition, economic relations between the two countries are to be reactivated. A Saudi Arabian delegation only traveled to Iran on Saturday – the talks in Tehran included the reopening of the embassy and consulates. For his part, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Aliresa Enjati announced a return visit by Iranian representatives to Saudi Arabia.