Coalition Airstrikes Derailed Yemeni Political Deal – Russia’s UN Envoy

Saudi-led coalition airstrikes launched in March hampered a highly probable political agreement between Yemeni government and country's Houthi minority, Russia's envoy to the United Nations Vitaliy Churkin said on Monday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Earlier in the day, UN Security Council held closed-door consultations on the crisis in Yemen. The country is currently engulfed in a military confrontation between government forces and Houthi Shiite militants who have seized control of a significant part of Yemen and forced President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi to flee the country asking a number of Arab states for military assistance.

"They [the warring parties in Yemen] agreed on a whole series of arrangements for settling the political crisis. The only remaining issue was the way the collective leadership would be structured," Churkin told reporters.

Moscow was "very unhappy" as it learned that a Saudi-led coalition began conducting airstrikes against the Houthi positions on March 26, Churkin added. The envoy stressed that Russia knew exactly what consequences would be triggered by the coalition's action.

Currently, Russia is involved in a major evacuation of its citizens, as well as foreign nationals, including those of the United States, from Yemen.

Last week, the coalition said it stopped the airstrikes campaign and launched the so-called Restoring Hope operation focused on counter-terrorism measures and revival of a political dialogue between the rivaling sides.

According to UN estimates, over 1,000 people have been killed in Yemen since the start of the coalition airstrikes.