Iraq proposes mediation in the war in Yemen

Iraq expressed its readiness to play a mediator role in helping to find a solution to the war in Yemen, as announced on Sunday by the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, during his meeting with his Yemeni counterpart in Baghdad.

The conflict in Yemen, which has been ongoing since 2015 between a government backed by a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths and produced one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

However, the country situated in the Arabian Gulf has experienced relative calm since reaching a UN-brokered ceasefire in 2022, which expired in October.

Hussein said during a press conference with his Yemeni counterpart, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, "There is an unofficial ceasefire or truce now... We hope this situation will turn into a dialogue between all Yemeni parties."

He added, "Iraq is ready to assist in this field. We have good relations with all parties. We can use these relations in the service of stability and security in Yemen, and we can move regionally in this regard."

Baghdad has repeatedly attempted to play a regional mediator role, notably by hosting unprecedented talks between Iran and Saudi Arabia in 2021.

In March of the same year, the two sides announced the return of diplomatic relations under Beijing's auspices, raising hopes for peace in Yemen.

The Yemeni minister said in his speech, "Unfortunately, until this moment, we have not seen a direct impact of this agreement on the situation in Yemen," adding, "But we still hope for it."

Bin Mubarak affirmed that since October of last year, there has been an unofficial truce, but "as a legitimate government, we are committed to the terms of this truce."

He concluded, "We believe that it is time to end this war in Yemen."



AFP