TEHRAN – The UN secretary general’s special envoy for Yemen is going to travel to Iran soon.

Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed of Mauritania announced his upcoming trip in a phone conversation with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for African and Arab Affair Hossein Amir-Abdollahian on Tuesday.

In their talks, the two also condemned the violation of a ceasefire in Yemen and called for humanitarian aid to the Yemeni people.

Amir-Abdollahian said that Iran supports talks with all Yemeni sides which could lead to a durable agreement overseen by the UN.

Ahmed, for his part, pointed to UN efforts to dispatch aid to the war-hit people of Yemen and hoped that the aid will reach the intended designations in the coming days.

An Iranian aid ship bound for Yemen has entered the Gulf of Aden and is expected to reach port on Thursday.

The vessel, the Iran Shahed, is carrying 2,500 tons of aid including flour, rice, canned food, medical supplies and bottled water, all urgently needed in the conflict-wracked and impoverished state.

Iran has been a fierce critic of Saudi Arabia’s air raids in Yemen which have so far left hundreds dead and thousands displaced.

On Tuesday Iran regretted the resumption of attacks on Yemen.

On Monday Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on the United Nations to create a safe zone in Yemen to allow the delivery of humanitarian supplies to the poor country, Tasnim reported.

Iranian officials have described the Saudi attack on Yemen a “big strategic mistake”.



SP/P