The European Parliament voted by majority on a draft resolution calling for the withdrawal of all foreign forces from Yemen to facilitate political dialogue between the parties to the conflict, at a time when the US envoy discussed with the Yemeni president to reach a political settlement, in the midst of an international momentum in support of ending the war.
The European decision affirms that there will be no solution to the crisis except through Yemeni-led negotiations that include all components of the people, and condemns the acts of violence in the country since 2015, which have caused the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.
The draft resolution stresses support for the efforts of the UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths to push the political process, and calls on the European Union to take firm measures against the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Yemen to the International Criminal Court, and to expand the list of people subject to Security Council sanctions.
Meanwhile, the Yemeni News Agency said that President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi received the US special envoy to Yemen, Timothy Lenderking, at his residence in Riyadh, to discuss efforts to bring peace to the country.
The agency quoted Lenderking as saying that he agreed with Hadi in describing the Iranian role in Yemen as negative, and the US envoy added that he would work to bring about peace in a way that preserves Yemen's unity, security and stability.
"Our primary goal is to bring the parties together in coordination with the United Nations special envoy, in order to reach a negotiated settlement that ends the war and the suffering of the Yemeni people," the US embassy in Yemen quoted Lenderking as telling the Yemeni foreign minister.
In the same context, Griffiths stressed that there is an opportunity represented in the presence of an international momentum in support of a political settlement of the conflict, in order to reach a peace that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people.
In a statement issued by his office at the conclusion of a visit to Saudi Arabia, Griffiths stressed the need to take direct measures to prevent the further deterioration of the humanitarian and economic situation in Yemen.
The UN envoy pointed to the increase in the pace of military actions and the continuing risks that threaten the lives of Yemenis.
For his part, the Houthi spokesperson, Muhammad Abdul Salam, considered - in a tweet on Twitter - that the positions calling for stopping the war, lifting the siege completely and banning the sale of weapons for what he described as countries of aggression and ending the foreign presence in Yemen, are all positive and supportive positions for a political solution in the country.
US President Joe Biden appointed Lenderking, a veteran US diplomat, as a special envoy for Yemen last week.
Washington also announced that it was ending its support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia is leading a coalition that intervened in Yemen in 2015 to support government forces in fighting the Houthi movement allied with Iran.
UN officials are seeking to revive peace talks and end the war, which the world body says has caused the world's largest humanitarian crisis.