Iraq rejects Saudi military campaign in Yemen

The Iraqi foreign minister has condemned the ongoing Saudi airstrikes against members of the Houthi Ansarullah movement in Yemen, saying the military onslaught is not a solution to the crisis in the impoverished Arab state.

On Thursday, Ibrahim al-Jaafari said he supported a “peaceful” approach to Yemen, adding, “We are not with the strikes, and we are against foreign intervention.”

“I don’t think military solutions can be the start of a resolution. We support peaceful solutions,” the top Iraqi diplomat said.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari

Syria has also expressed its deep concern over the latest upheavals in Yemen.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates in a statement on Thursday urged respect for Yemen’s sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity.

The statement noted that Damascus calls for dialogue among all Yemeni parties in order to formulate a political solution in the interests of the Yemeni nation.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, called for an immediate cessation of Saudi airborne attacks on Yemen, stating that the aggression lacks wisdom and will fuel tensions in the Middle East.

The Iranian foreign minister has called on Saudi Arabia to immediately cease its military aggression against Yemen.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif

“We demand an immediate stop to the Saudi military operations in Yemen,” Mohammad Javad Zarif said, adding that the military operations constitute a violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and will only lead to bloodshed.

“We will spare no effort to contain the crisis in Yemen,” Zarif said.

The ongoing Saudi airstrikes on Yemen have so far claimed the lives of at least 18 civilians with more deaths feared, according to Yemeni sources.

On Thursday morning, forces loyal to fugitive Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi seized control of the international airport in the southern port city of Aden.

Troops of the 39th Armored Brigade, who are allied to the Houthi Ansarullah movement, had earlier seized the facility.

Later in the day, Saudi military aircraft bombarded fresh areas in northern and southern Yemen.

The attacks struck arms depots in Malaheez region in the northwestern city of Sa’ada, located 240 kilometers (150 miles) north of the capital, Sana’a, as well as the al-Tariq airbase in the southwestern city of Ta’izz, situated about 390 kilometers (240 miles) south of the capital.