ADEN 

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen announced that it ruled out a US cease-fire plan, describing it as a plot to put the war-weary country in a more dangerous situation. 

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam commented on the plan by Timothy Lenderking, US special envoy for Yemen, and said there was nothing new about the proposal and it reflected the point of view of Saudi Arabia and the UN, according to a report by Al-Masirah TV.

Arguing that the proposal was a spiral that would bring back the blockade through diplomatic means, he went on to say that the US plan was a conspiracy.

Abdul-Salam further said the Houthis would gladly admit to a cease-fire deal if the US was serious about ending the attacks and blockade.

On Feb. 22, Lenderking started a Gulf tour, in which he is projected to contact high-level government officials to seek a solution to the crisis in Yemen. He reportedly met Abdul-Salam on Feb. 26 in Oman.

Yemen has been wracked by violence and instability since 2014, when Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including the capital, Sanaa.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas