Iranian Speaker Underlines Necessity for Talks to Settle Yemeni Crisis

(FNA)- Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani stressed the necessity for settling the problems in Yemen through holding talks between different groups in the Arab country.

"On the developments in Yemen, settlement of problems through talks was emphasized," Larijani was quoted as saying by a senior legislator, Iraj Abdi, during an internal meeting of the parliament on Sunday.

Noting that military strike against Yemen actually harms all Islamic countries, Abdi said, "Stopping the war through talks was among the issues underscored by the parliament members in the meeting."

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen for 11 days now to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression against Yemen has killed at least 874 people, including hundreds of women and children. Another 1,700 people have also been wounded in the last 11 days.

Hadi stepped down in January and refused to reconsider the decision despite calls by Ansarullah revolutionaries of the Houthi movement.

Despite Riyadh's claims that it is bombing the positions of the Ansarullah fighters, Saudi warplanes are flattening residential areas and civilian infrastructures.

Five Persian Gulf States -- Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait -- and Egypt that are also assisted by Israel and backed by the US declared war on Yemen in a joint statement issued on March 26.

Iranian people and officials have strongly condemned the aggression and called for its immediate halt.

Iranian protesters condemned the Saudi aggression against Yemen in rallies staged after the Friday prayers in different cities.

During the rallies held in the cities of Tehran, Tabriz, Mashhad and Ardebil, the protesters chanted slogans in support of the Yemeni army and popular forces and against the Al Saud regime.

In Tehran, the protesters carried out placards which read "Down with the US", "Ansarullah will win", "Down with Saudi Arabia".

In Tabriz, the worshippers underlined that the people of Yemen have and will never be alone and the Iranian nation will forcefully stay beside the Ansarullah movement and their resistance against the Saudi-led aggressors.

In Mashhad, the protesting people also condemned the Saudi aggression against Yemen while carrying posters in support of the oppressed Yemeni people.

The people of Ardebil also took part in rallies against the Al Saud regime after the Friday prayers and called for immediate halt to the aggressions.

On Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a meeting with Norwegian Foreign Minister Borge Brende in Kuwait City called on the European Union (EU) to play a more active role in putting an end to the Saudi-led airstrikes on Yemen.

"The EU has a moderate and acceptable stance towards the Saudi aggression against Yemen, and we want the EU to play a more active role to put an end to the military attacks against the Yemeni citizens and start of talks among different Yemeni parties," Amir Abdollahian said during the meeting held on the sidelines of an international meeting on Syria in Kuwait.