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March 22, 2021 - Saudi Arabia has proposed a ceasefire in Yemen to Houthi rebels, allies of Iran.
A peace initiative under the supervision of the United Nations.
The goal is to reach the opening of negotiations between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthis themselves.
The proposal, put forward by the Foreign Minister of Riyadh, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, also provides for the reopening of the Sana'a airport and the possibility of importing food and fuel through the port of Hodeidah.
"The initiative will come into effect as soon as the Houthis accept it," said the minister, quoted by the Saudi pan-Arab TV al arabiya.
"We will do everything possible to put the necessary pressure on the Houthis to come to the negotiating table and lay down their weapons. We believe that an end to the fighting and a political solution are the only way," said the foreign minister of Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia's move follows the intensification of Houthi rebel attacks with drones and missiles on the kingdom's oil sites, which have rocked global energy prices amid the Covid pandemic.
It also comes as Riyadh is trying to rehabilitate its image with the United States under President Joe Biden.
Saudi Arabia has been heavily criticized internationally for conducting airstrikes that killed civilians and imposed embargoes that exacerbated hunger in a nation on the brink of famine.