An official with theHouthirebel movement in Yemen has said it will stop aiming missile and drone attacks atSaudi Arabia, warning that a continuation of the war could lead to “dangerous developments”.
The announcement was made on Friday night by Mahdi al-Mashat, head of the Houthi’s supreme political council, which controls the rebel-held areas in Yemen.
“We declare ceasing to target the Saudi Arabian territory with military drones, ballistic missiles and all other forms of weapons, and we wait for a reciprocal move from them,” Mashat said on the (Houthi-run Al Masirah TV.
“We reserve the right to respond if they fail to reciprocate positively to this initiative,” he said, adding that the continuation of the Yemen war “will not benefit any side”.
The announcement by the Houthis came nearly a week after they claimed amajor attackon Saudi oil facilities.
Despite the Houthis insisting they are responsible for the September 14 assault on Aramco sites that initially halved the kingdom’s production, theUnited Statesand Saudi Arabia haveblamedIran.
Iran denies being involved, warning that any retaliatory strike on it by the US or Saudi Arabia will result in “an all-out war“.
‘Preserve blood of Yemenis’
“I call on all parties from different sides of the war to engage seriously in genuine negotiations that can lead to a comprehensive national reconciliation that does not exclude anyone,” said Mashat.
He added a major goal of the ceasfire was to “preserve the blood of Yemenis and achieve a general amnesty”.
The Saudi-led military coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Houthi announcement.
Mashat also called for the reopening of Sanaa’s international airport and open access to Yemen’s Red Sea port ofHodeidah, a crucial entry point for imports and humanitarian aid that has been at the center of United Nations-brokeredtalks.
The Western-backed coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis removed the internationally recognizedised government in Sanaa in late 2014.
The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people so far and left millions on the brink offamine, sparking what the UN calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
The Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted key Saudi infrastructure in recent months in cross-border attacks. Earlier this week, they said they had picked out dozens of sites in the UAE as possible targets for future attacks.
Earlier on Friday, Saudi officials brought journalists to the site of the Abqaiq oil processing facility, one of the two locations hit in drone and missile attacks on September 14.
The Yemen conflict is largely seen in the region as a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
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