Zarif announces the Hormuz Peace Initiative

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday called for an initiative for peace and security in the Gulf region, dubbed the Hormuz Peace Initiative, which he said was based on four key principles.

This came in a speech on the sidelines of a meeting of the main working group of the Munich Conference, which was transferred to the Qatari capital Doha on Monday after its launch in Cairo last Saturday.

The Iranian Foreign Minister said that the Strait of Hormuz is a common factor among the countries of the Gulf region, and shares the interests of these countries.

He added that the Hormuz Peace Initiative is based on key principles: non-interference in the affairs of others, non-aggression, commitment to energy security, and recourse to international law.

The Munich conference will see two core group meetings with several political leaders, senior officials and experts from the Middle East, Europe and other regions.

During the conference, the current crises in the region will be discussed, exploration of ways to stop escalation and identification of possible areas of regional cooperation.

Zarif said Saturday that the political solution is the only possible in Yemen, expressing his country's readiness to send humanitarian aid to Yemen.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Zarif received Houthi spokesman Mohammad Abdul Salam and discussed with him the latest developments on the Yemeni arena.

According to the statement, the Iranian Foreign Minister expressed regret over the harsh conditions experienced by the Yemeni people following the five-year war and the "unjust siege on this country."

For his part, Mohammed Abdul Salam expressed the gratitude of the Yemeni people for standing by Iran, and presented a report to Zarif on the latest developments in Yemen and the future prospects for resolving the crisis through political means.

For the fifth year in a row, Yemen has been at war between pro-government forces and Houthi militants who have controlled provinces, including Sanaa, since September 2014.