Iran Condemns Continued Saudi Onslaughts on Yemen


TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Marziyeh Afkham strongly condemned the Saudi regime for launching further airstrikes against Yemen and bombarding residential areas in northern parts of the crisis-hit country.

In a statement late on Sunday, the Iranian spokeswoman emphasized that during more than 40 days of indiscriminate attacks, in which both military and civilian areas were hit, the Saudi-led warplanes have used prohibited weapons with the aim of increasing the number of casualties.

“Such moves are (tantamount to) genocide and in complete violation of international law,” Afkham noted.

She further called on the United Nations to play a more active role in ending the attacks on the defenseless people of Yemen and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance to war victims in the Arabian Peninsula country.

Saudi-led fighter jets heavily bombed targets in Yemen’s northern provinces of Sa'dah and al-Jawf, which led to the killing and injuring a large number of people.

According to a report by the Freedom House Institution in Yemen, the death toll from the Saud-led war on the Arab country has reached 3,553 people.

The report said 6,271 people have also been injured since the beginning of the Saudi regime’s attacks on the country.

Earlier on Friday, Saudi Arabia offered the Houthis a five-day ceasefire. The ceasefire would begin on Tuesday, May 12.

On March 26, Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies began to launch deadly air strikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to the fugitive former President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

The Saudi-led coalition announced on April 21 that its military operation "Decisive Storm" has ended, but hours later, air strikes and ground fighting resumed.