TEHRAN – Ali Asghar Khaji, a special assistant to Iran’s foreign minister for special political affairs, announced on Sunday that Iran’s Yemen peace initiative is still on the table.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran declared since the beginning of the aggression on Yemen that the solution should be political, and that is why it presented a balanced initiative of four articles for a solution,” Khaji told al-Masirah TV.

He added, “Some countries in the region believed that they could end the Yemeni issue militarily within three or four months without granting any political privilege to the other Yemeni parties.”

The Iranian diplomat also pointed to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen due to the war.

“The military war in Yemen constituted the largest humanitarian crisis of the century, claiming the lives of thousands of children and women and spreading famine,” he remarked, adding, “The aggressors against Yemen have not achieved their goals despite the passage of six years since the military aggression. Rather, the Yemeni people have been able to create an equation of balance, deterrence and strength in their favor on the scene.”

Khaji expressed hope that the countries of the region, America and the enemies of Yemen would stop the war and take into account the Iranian peace initiative.

“We hope that the countries of the region, America and the enemies of Yemen will realize that war cannot be the solution, and Iran's initiative to stop the aggression, lift the siege and start the Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue is still on the table as a basic solution,” Khaji noted.

According to the Iranian diplomat, the Yemenis have the capabilities, courage and military ability to confront the occupiers and aggressors, and they do not need Iran.

SM/PA