DUBAI: The United Nations special envoy on Yemen is visiting Iran for the first time to discuss Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, Iranian state TV reported on Sunday, days after Washington announced an end to its support for Saudi-led military operations in Yemen.
A Saudi Arabia-led coalition intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015, backing government forces fighting Iran-allied Houthi rebels. Saudi Arabia and Iran compete for influence across the Middle East, from Syria to Iraq.
“The U.N. Special Envoy Martin Griffiths has arrived in Tehran for a two-day visit, during which he will meet with Iranian officials,” state TV said.
Griffiths’ office said the visit was part of his diplomatic efforts to support a negotiated political solution to the conflict. His immediate priority was to support agreement between the warring parties on a ceasefire, urgent humanitarian measures and a resumption of the political process, it said in a press release.
Griffiths’ spokeswoman, Ismini…