Saudi Arabia Says Airstrikes in Yemen Succeeded in Ending Threat

Saudi Arabia said its campaign of airstrikes in Yemen have succeeded in removing threats to the kingdom and other regional countries.

The operations by a coalition of mostly Sunni Muslim nations has “successfully eliminated the threat to the security of Saudi Arabia and neighboring countries,” by destroying the heavy weaponry and ballistic missiles held by the Shiite Houthi rebels, the Saudi Defense Ministry said in a statement late Tuesday carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. It didn’t say whether the campaign will continue.

The airstrikes were an attempt to roll back gains by the Houthis and force them to resume talks to resolve the country’s crisis. The rebels have driven Yemen’s Saudi-backed ruler, President Abdurabuh Mansur Hadi, into exile.

Saudi and other Gulf Arab officials accuse the Houthis and their allies of being tools of Iran, a charge they have denied.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, earlier on Tuesday expressed optimism that the bombing of Yemen would end “within hours,” citing unspecified diplomatic efforts. The Houthis have said they’re willing to resume talks on a political settlement in Yemen, though they say they won’t accept Hadi’s return to power.