UN seizes on Saudi-Iran detente to push for end to Yemen war

A top United Nations envoy visited Iran to discuss ending the war in Yemen, days after the Islamic Republic and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore ties and curtail a rivalry that’s fueled the conflict for almost a decade.

Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to discuss “the importance of regional support to start a comprehensive political process led by Yemenis to end the conflict,” his office said in a tweet.

Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed on Friday to repair relations after seven years marked by geopolitical rivalry and indirect conflict, especially in Yemen, where they back opposite sides in the civil war. On Monday, Iran said it wanted to mend its relations with more Arab countries.

Grundberg’s visit also included a meeting with China’s ambassador to Tehran, Chang Hua. China, which brokered last week’s deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, is willing to provide assistance for Yemen’s reconstruction, Hua said in a tweet.

The UN says the war in Yemen has killed and injured tens of thousands of people since 2015.