JEDDAH: The Houthis are only interested in a cease-fire to fortify their ground positions and hold on to territory they seized, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said here on Tuesday.

“The Houthis commit acts of aggression, and pose a risk by mobilizing their weaponry. They then strike cities in Saudi Arabia. Any cease-fire or truce is in their hands. We have not seen the Houthis show any desire to stop their aggression,” Al-Jubeir said after the extraordinary meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Jeddah.

Al-Jubeir said the Houthis had mobilized their forces during the first six-day truce, and had taken control of some areas in Yemen. This shows that they are not interested in a cease-fire, he said.

He said international pressure is mounting on the Houthis to abide by the Security Council resolution to lay down their weapons. It appears they are the only party not prepared to do so, he said.

In his address, Iran’s Assistant Foreign Minister Hussein Abdul Lehyan said that Tehran supports the Yemeni dialogue in Geneva “in the presence of the UN secretary-general, and will support the outcome of the talks.”

The final statement of the meeting affirmed support for the government of Yemeni President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, the dialogue, and the United Nations resolutions.

The statement also urged the militias of the Houthis and deposed President Ali Abdullah Saleh to pull out immediately from Sanaa, Aden, and other cities and governorates.

It also condemned the military actions of these militias on the Saudi-Yemeni border.

Also at the meeting, Sartaj Aziz, adviser to Pakistan’s premier on national security and foreign affairs, said that Pakistan would help counter any threat to Saudi Arabia’s territory.

He said Pakistan supports the coalition’s objective to restore the legitimate government in Yemen and urged the Houthis to withdraw from the territories seized including Sanaa.

During his visit to Riyadh on April 23, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with President Abdu Rabbo Mansoor Hadi to express solidarity with the people and government of Yemen, Aziz added.

Aziz said Pakistan was concerned at the increasing threats to regional peace and stability in the Middle East. “We believe that there is a dire need to ensure that the region does not get further destabilized by terrorist groups. We are therefore committed to enhancing cooperation with the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in combating extremism and terrorism,” he said.