Saudi Arabia, Iran, China call for comprehensive political solution in Yemen under UN auspices

ISTANBUL

Saudi Arabia, Iran and China on Tuesday called for a comprehensive UN-sponsored political solution in Yemen, reaffirming their joint support for an internationally recognized framework to end the conflict in the Arab country.

This came during the third meeting of the Saudi-Chinese-Iranian trilateral committee in Tehran to follow up on the Beijing Agreement, according to a statement by Saudi state news agency SPA.

The meeting was chaired by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Saudi Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu.

The Beijing Agreement, reached on March 10, 2023, restored diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran after China-brokered talks, ending a rupture between the two countries that had persisted since 2016.

During the meeting, the Saudi and Iranian sides affirmed their “commitment to implementing the Beijing Agreement in all its provisions, and to continuing their efforts to strengthen good-neighborly relations between the two countries through adherence to the UN Charter, the Charter of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and international law, including respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and security of both states.”

The three countries also called for “an immediate halt to Israeli aggression in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, and condemned acts of aggression and violations of the territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

SPA said the three countries “reaffirmed their support for a comprehensive political solution in Yemen that aligns with internationally recognized principles under UN auspices.”

Yemen has fallen into civil war since the Iran-backed Houthi group seized control of the capital Sanaa in 2014, forcing the legitimate government to flee to the country’s south.

Saudi Arabia and Iran welcomed China’s “ongoing positive role” and underlined the importance of Chinese support and follow-up in implementing the Beijing Agreement.

China, for its part, affirmed its readiness to continue supporting and encouraging steps taken by Saudi Arabia and Iran to advance their relations in various fields, according to the same source.

During the meeting, the three countries expressed their aspiration to “expand the scope of cooperation among them in various areas, including economic and political fields,” and emphasized the importance of regional dialogue and cooperation among the countries of the region to strengthen security, stability, peace and economic prosperity.

The first meeting of the joint trilateral committee at deputy-minister level was held in late December 2023 in Beijing, while the second took place in November 2024.