UN envoy holds talks in Oman as airstrikes continue in Yemen

Aden (Yemen), April 25 (IANS) United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has held meetings in Muscat, capital of Oman, with senior Omani officials, Houthi leaders, and members of the diplomatic community to discuss the evolving situation in Yemen, according to a statement by the envoy's office.

A central focus of the talks was the UN's repeated calls for the immediate and unconditional release of detained UN personnel, NGO workers, civil society activists, and diplomatic staff currently held by the Houthis, Xinhua news agency reported.

"For far too long, families and colleagues have suffered, and communities have been left without the people who served them," Grundberg said, emphasising that such detentions "severely hinder international efforts to support the Yemeni people and undermine progress toward peace".

The Houthis form part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and the US, and since the war in Gaza broke out in October 2023, they have repeatedly launched missiles and drones at Israel in what they say is a show of solidarity with the Palestinians.

They have also targeted ships they accuse of having ties to Israel in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, sparking a US-led bombing campaign aimed at securing the key shipping lanes.

In a statement posted on X, Grundberg's office said he "met today in #Muscat with senior Omani officials, members of Ansar Allah (Houthi) leadership and representatives of the diplomatic community".

The talks "centered on the necessity to stabilise the situation in #Yemen to allow all Yemenis to live in dignity and prosperity and to address the legitimate concerns of all stakeholders including the region and the international community," it added.

Meanwhile, US warplanes launched new airstrikes on Thursday targeting multiple northern provinces under Houthi control, continuing a military campaign that has been ongoing since mid-March.

These attacks, carried out almost daily on Houthi-controlled cities including Sanaa, Hodeidah, and Sadaa, are part of what Washington describes as efforts to curtail Houthi military capabilities and deter its attacks on international navigation.

In response to the US military campaign, the Houthis have escalated their attacks against Israel and US aircraft carriers operating in the Red Sea.

The ongoing tensions continue to complicate international efforts to achieve lasting stability in Yemen, which has suffered from protracted civil war since 2014.

--IANS

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