Sana’a: President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi urged Iran on Saturday to be “reasonable” in dealing with Yemen, where it is accused of supporting Al Houthi rebels.
“Iran should be reasonable and logical in dealing with the Yemeni people,” Hadi said in remarks published by Saba state news agency.
He called on Tehran to “deal with the Yemeni people as one entity, and not to deal with groups or sects”.
Iran has been repeatedly accused of backing the rebels who have fought the central government for over a decade and have been camping for weeks inside and outside Sana’a demanding the removal of the current government.
On Sunday, Al Houthis continued their protests. Yemeni security officials said they had blocked a main road leading to the capital’s international airport.
The officials say the Al Houthis pitched tents on the road leading to Sana’a’s airport and near the ministry of communications. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief reporters.
Despite an overture by Hadi pledging to name a new premier and the reduction of a fuel price hike, Al Houthi rebels have vowed to intensify protests on Sunday and Monday.
Al Houthi rebels, Zaidi Shiites, have also been fighting fierce battles with government troops and loyalist tribes north of the capital, beyond their traditional stronghold of Saada.
Analysts say the rebels are trying to establish themselves as the dominant political force in the northern highlands, where Zaidi Shiites are the majority community.
Yemen has been locked in a protracted transition since long-time president Ali Abdullah Saleh was forced from power in February 2012 after a deadly 11-month uprising.
