Will Saudi-Houthi deal brings lasting peace in Yemen ?

Talks among the Saudis, Omanis and Houthis in Sanaa are the “closest Yemen has been to real progress towards lasting peace,” the UN's envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said on Monday.

Yemen's Foreign Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak said Saudi-Houthi talks never stopped, even during the war. On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry said it supports a political peace in Yemen.

Indeed, even as the Houthis were making progress in talks with the Saudis, the rebel group continued to expand its recruitment, mobilization, and stockpiling of arms during last year's truce as Iran significantly increased its weapons shipments.

Iran has long been accused of supporting the Houthis through weapons smuggling and providing technical know-how, accusations detailed in UN reports between 2019 and this year, and the US and British navies have intercepted arms shipments.

The Houthis have benefited from direct military support from Iran and Hezbollah in the form of weapons, training, and mentoring that helped build up their regular and irregular warfare capabilities.

Last month, Saudi Arabia and Iran announced the restoration of diplomatic ties under a China-brokered deal that will involve the resumption of direct flights between the two countries and the reopening of embassies for the first time since 2016.

A delegation from Saudi Arabia visited Tehran at the weekend to discuss reopening its embassy. Iran said it will send a delegation from Tehran to Riyadh to do the same. Yemen's Information Minister Moammar Eryani lauded the Saudi role in Yemen.