Iran Deputy FM Confers with Iraqi Officials on Yemen Crisis

(Tasnim) – As the second destination of his tour of Arab and Islamic countries, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi paid a visit to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad in a bid to exchange opinions on Yemen war.

The Iranian official, who also serves as the country’s special envoy, arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday afternoon and held a meeting with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri.

At the meeting, the two sides expressed their concerns over the region’s critical conditions and the consequences of the Saudi-led military invasion of Yemen.

They both underscored the necessity for avoiding military operations and acts of violence in Yemen, saying that returning to the negotiating table and resorting to peaceful solutions are the best ways out of conflicts.

Elsewhere in the meeting, al-Jabouri hailed Iran’s “constructive” role in the region, and appreciated its support for the Iraqi nation and counter-terror campaign.

Sarmadi’s trip to Baghdad came as he had travelled to Muscat on Wednesday morning to discuss Yemen’s situation with Omani officials in the wake of Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen.

The diplomatic efforts come after Saudi Arabia and some of its Arab allies on March 26 began to militarily interfere in Yemen's internal affairs by launching deadly air strikes against the Houthi Ansarullah movement in an attempt to restore power to fugitive Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh.

Iran has slammed the offensive as a violation of Yemen’s territorial integrity and called for a halt to the assaults against Yemen by foreigners.