Iran has Proposed Yemen Peace Plan: Mohammad Javad Zarif

Iran has proposed a peace plan for Yemen that calls for a ceasefire followed by talks by all sides that would be mediated by foreigners, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said today.

"I proposed a ceasefire followed by all inclusive Yemeni dialogue that is facilitated by others, leading to the formation of a government in Yemen that represents a broadly based community," Zarif, who was speaking in English, told a news conference in Madrid.

Shiite Huthi rebels - who Yemen says are backed by Iran - have seized swathes of territory in Yemen since they entered the capital Sanaa in September 2014, forcing government forces to flee.

Yemen slid deeper into turmoil after a Saudi-led air campaign began on March 26 to push back the rebels' advance after they forced President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi to flee the country.

The goal of the Iran's peace plan for Yemen is the establishment of a government "that has good relations with its neighbours," said Zarif.

The Iranian foreign minister said that peace must be secured by the Yemenis themselves, and not imposed from outside. "This should be a Yemen exercise facilitated by others," he said.

"It is not negotiation between others, it is a negotiation between the various political and ethnic tribal groups in Yemen. This is not a religious war in Yemen."