Saudi Official: Yemen’s Houthis ‘Ignoring’ Political Solution

Saudi Arabian Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman said Iranian-supported Houthi rebels have been ignoring the Kingdom’s call for a political solution to end the four-year civil war in Yemen. The Shi’ite Houthis say they are ready to implement a December ceasefire deal but that the Saudi-led Sunni coalition they are fighting has been obstructing it. The conflict is largely seen as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Riyadh intervened in Yemen in 2015 to restore the internationally recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, ousted by the Houthis in 2014. Despite the United Nations-mediated ceasefire in December, sporadic clashes have continued. US President Donald Trump vetoed a congressional resolution that sought to end American involvement in a supporting role behind the Saudi-led forces. The war in Yemen has killed tens of thousands of people and forced some 15 million others to the brink of starvation.