Saudi, Omani delegation hold peace talks in Yemen with Houthi leaders

Saudi Arabians and Omanis delegation held talks with the Houthi officials in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, in an effort to end the nine-year-long conflict, Houthi-run media, SABA reported.

This visit highlights the progress in the Oman-mediated consultations between Riyadh and Sanaa, which run parallel to United Nations peace efforts.

Negotiations also gained momentum since archrivals Saudi Arabia and Iran agreed to re-establish ties in a deal brokered by China, according to Al Jazeera.

The envoys met the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, Mahdi al-Mashat on Sunday where he affirmed the firm stance towards a just and honourable peace that the Yemenis aspire to and achieve their aspirations for freedom and independence, according to SABA.

For his part, the head of the Saudi delegation thanked the brothers in the Sultanate of Oman for their important role and great efforts in the framework of bringing peace to Yemen and their keenness to support peace and stability in Yemen.

The meeting was attended by the head of the national delegation, Muhammad Abdel Salam, the deputy head of the national delegation, Lieutenant General Jalal Al-Ruwaishan, the head of the Security and Intelligence Service, Major General Abdul Hakim Al-Khaiwani, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Al-Ezzi, the member of the national delegation, Abdul-Malik Al-Ajri, and the head of the Military and Security Committee, Major General Abdullah Yahya Al-Razami.

Earlier, in March, Iran's mission to the United Nations said that the restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran will contribute to finding a political solution to the war in Yemen, state news agency IRNA reported.

"The restoration of diplomatic ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran [would] speed the ceasefire, help launch a national discussion, and build an inclusive national administration in Yemen," the Iranian UN mission stated on Sunday, according to IRNA.

Since its outbreak in 2014, the conflict in Yemen has been fought on a battlefield where Riyadh and Tehran have supported opposing parties. The Arab Coalition was established by Saudi Arabia to defend the Yemeni government, which is recognised internationally, militarily against the Houthi movement, which is backed by Iran, reported Al Arabiya News.

Arab and Western governments have long accepted that Iran supplied weapons to the Houthi militia, which was then used to launch cross-border strikes primarily against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Throughout the years, the regional warships of the US and the UK have successfully stopped numerous shipments of weapons built in Iran aboard ships bound for Yemen.

Analysts have hailed the significant diplomatic achievement as a huge step towards resolving several regional military crises.

According to the statement from the Iranian envoy, relations between Riyadh and Tehran are significant on three tiers bilateral, regional, and global levels. All three tiers, including West Asia and the Islamic world, will benefit from the reestablishment of political links between the two nations, Al Arabiya News reported.