KUWAIT CITY
The Shiite Houthi group only controls about 30 percent of Yemeni territory, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyad Yassin said Monday.
"The Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh only control between 30 percent and 35 percent of Yemeni territory," Yassin told a press conference held in the Yemeni embassy in Kuwait.
Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies have been pounding Houthi positions across Yemen since late last month.
Riyadh says its anti-Houthi campaign is in response to appeals by Yemen's embattled president, Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, for help against the Houthis.
"The current war will not take long; it has specific targets," Yassin said.
The top diplomat criticized a recent Iranian initiative aimed at halting Saudi-led airstrikes against Houthis positions.
"Iranian mediation always comes late," Yassin said. "It only aims to save their allies."
Last week, Iran proposed a four-point peace plan for Yemen. The plan included an immediate cease-fire and the formation of a unity government.
Some Gulf States accuse Shiite Iran of supporting Yemen's Houthi insurgency.
