“Military attack, bombardment and destruction of the infrastructure cannot be of any help in this country [Yemen],” Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said in a meeting with Speaker of National Assembly of Pakistan Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in Islamabad on Thursday.
Hundreds of people have so far been killed and thousands more wounded since Saudi Arabia launched its unlawful military aggression against Yemen on March 26. Riyadh’s attack, which was launched without a UN mandate, is meant to undermine the Ansarullah movement and restore power to the country’s fugitive former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi.
Ansarullah fighters took over state matters in January, citing inability of the Hadi administration to properly run the affairs of the country and contain terror and corruption.
Iran-Pakistan fight against ISIL, smugglers
In the meeting, the Pakistani speaker said Tehran and Islamabad should improve cooperation in the battle against the ISIL terrorists and drug smugglers.
Regional problems can definitely be settled by regional countries that need to strengthen their cooperation and hold more consultations, Sadiq added.
Warning that discord among Muslims would only serve the interests of enemies of Islam, he called on Muslim nations to reinforce their unity.
He expressed confidence that Iran and Pakistan can play a leading role in resolving regional woes.
Sadiq also called on all sides involved in the Yemen conflict to hold negotiations in an effort to find a proper solution.
He further expressed Pakistani lawmakers’ determination to improve relations with Iran.
