Tehran welcomes UN-led Yemen ceasefire as step forward to end war – Foreign Ministry

Tehran has hailed as a positive step an initial accord reached among Yemen’s warring parties to halt fighting for the Houthi-held port city of Hodeidah and withdraw their troops, Reuters said. “Iran welcomes the agreement… and hopes it will pave the way for the next round of dialogue for concluding a final accord among Yemeni groups,” state TV quoted Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi as saying. The agreement was reached on Thursday. It was the first significant breakthrough for UN-led peace efforts in five years of conflict in Yemen, where Iran backs Houthi rebels. The conflict in Yemen is seen as a proxy war between Iran and its key regional rival Saudi Arabia.