Iran press/Middle East: The fourth round of Yemeni peace talks ended in Stockholm, Sweden, on Thursday night, just as news agencies were reporting a fresh round of Saudi-led airstrikes in Yemen.
The peace talks in Sweden which started on 6 December, were headed by Martin Griffiths, the UN special representative for Yemeni affairs.
The renewed airstrikes on Yemen coincided with the end of the fourth round of peace negotiations in Stockholm, where both sides agreed to a ceasefire arrangement in the port city of Hudaydah, under the auspices of the United Nations, and allowing humanitarian aid to once again enter Yemen through the port of Hudaydah.
Most analysts are pointing to US policy vis-a-vis Yemen, and the fact that neither the Americans nor the Saudis seem pleased about the results of the peace negotiations in Stockholm.
The US state department issued a statement, emphasizing that more negotiations are needed between the two sides, with regards to the details of the points agreed to in Stockholm. Many analysts are saying that the US is showing a green light to Riyadh to continue with its bombardment of Yemen, stressing the fact that the details of the peace agreement in Stockholm are far from clear and somewhat fuzzy.
Despite nearly four years of military aggression, and the use of advanced American weaponry, and full military and logistic support from Washington, Saudi Arabia and its allies have not been successful militarily. The Saudi-UAE coalition has been unable to conquer the key port city of Hudaydah, despite a green light from the Americans, and despite the use of considerable military power at its disposal. In the end, the Saudis were forced to sit round the negotiating table.
Following the peace negotiations in Sweden, and an agreed halt to all military operations in Hudaydah, ships carrying humanitarian goods are now able to dock in Hudaydah port, delivering much-needed food, medicines, and other essential items. This represents a huge victory for the Houthi-Ansarullah movement of Yemen, and a resounding humiliating defeat for the Saudi-UAE coalition.
It is worth noting that the Ansarullah movement has now been recognized by both the United Nations, and the former government of fugitive president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. This confirms the legitimacy of the Ansarullah movement, and the popular forces of Yemen. This is something that Saudi Arabia and its allies were not prepared to recognize just a few months ago.
San'a airport is still under the control of the legitimate government of Yemen, the Ansarullah movement and the popular forces. This counts as another embarrassing defeat for the Saudis, and their backers.
Extensive war crimes committed by Saudi Arabia and its backers in Yemen have become an international fiasco - a debacle - and an indelible mark of shame for Riyadh and its Western backers, particularly the United States of America.
Images and headlines of Saudi war crimes in Yemen have caused acute embarrassment in Washington - so much so that the House and Senate have now passed resolutions admonishing Donald Trump and his administration for aiding and abetting war crimes in Yemen, requiring the administration to halt all weapons sales to Saudi Arabia. The belated action by the Senate has been cold comfort for the Yemeni people though, who have seen their country devastated and their loved ones killed in a senseless war which has dragged on for nearly four years.
Over 14,000 Yemenis, including thousands of women and children, have lost their lives in the deadly Saudi military campaign which has dragged on for years. International pressure has been mounting to halt the war.
The last round of talks, hosted by Kuwait in 2016, collapsed after more than three months of negotiations with no breakthroughs being achieved.
Political talks to resolve the Yemeni crisis have so far failed because of Saudi Arabia's obstruction, and Riyadh's lack of desire for peace.
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Read more:
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