Yemenis deserve a peaceful, prosperous country

The Arab Coalition on Tuesday announced that it would cease all military operations in Yemen during the month of Ramadan to help create “propitious conditions” for peace talks to end the years long war in the country.

The Coalition’s statement came hours after GCC Secretary-General Dr. Nayef Al-Hajraf called for a cessation of military operations coinciding with the Yemeni-Yemeni peace talks being held in Saudi Arabia.

The Coalition also reaffirmed its “steadfast position” in supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemen.

Saudi Arabia opened the first day of peace talks on Tuesday as the UN and US work to reach a truce between the Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthi militia.

The Houthis have refused to attend the talks and have repeatedly rejected peace talks over recent years. They also arrested three Yemeni civil rights activists in Ibb province who planned to attend the Riyadh talks.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Saeed Khatibzadeh, supported the Houthi position in a statement Tuesday.

Separately, US Special Envoy for Yemen Tim Lenderking landed in the region to “continue leading US diplomatic efforts to advance a durable, inclusive resolution to the conflict in Yemen and bring immediate relief to the people of Yemen.”

Last month the Houthis ratcheted up their missile attacks against Saudi Arabia, launching 16 strikes mostly against oil facilities. 

The strikes took place in two waves, the first coinciding with the announcement of the GCC initiative in mid-March and the second coinciding with the seventh anniversary of Operation Resolute Storm that the coalition launched against the Houthi insurgency in Yemen on 26 March 2015.

After the second wave of strikes, the Houthis declared a three-day unilateral truce, signalling their intention to resume the military offensive when the dialogue begins.

The conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis has been going on since 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in Yemen's war to fight the Houthis who toppled the internationally recognized government.