United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg arrived in Tehran on Sunday in the hopes of urging Iran to pressure the Houthi militias in Yemen to ease tensions in the region.
Tensions have been high with the Houthis continuing to launch rockets and drones at Israel in what they say are an act of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has retaliated with a series of strikes against Houthi targets in Sanaa and other areas held by the Iran-backed militias.
“Following his visits in Muscat and Sana'a last week, UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg is in Tehran today, as part of a series of regional and national meetings conducted under his mediation efforts to advance peace in Yemen,” said the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on the X platform.
In Tehran, Grundberg met with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqhchi, who reiterated his country’s support for the role and efforts of the United Nations in aiding the improvement of the situation in Yemen.
He condemned the repeated airstrikes by the United States, United Kingdom, and Israel on Yemen’s infrastructure, describing these attacks “as blatant violations of Yemen’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as grave breaches of international law and the United Nations Charter,” his office said on a post on X.
The use of “force and lawlessness” by the US and UK effectively serves to support “Israel's genocide in Gaza and is an unprecedented threat to regional peace and security, with consequences affecting all nations in the region,” he warned.
Grundberg expressed “gratitude for Iran’s stance and commitment to stability and security in the region, particularly in Yemen. He provided a briefing on his recent visit to Sanaa and outlined the United Nations’ actions and initiatives aimed at establishing peace and stability in Yemen.”
Grundberg also “underscored the importance and necessity of continued consultations and dialogue” Tehran.
