JEDDAH: Yemen Vice President and Prime Minister Khaled Bahah has thanked Saudi Arabia for standing by his country during tough times.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Tuesday, he said: “Our GCC brothers, particularly Saudi Arabia, stood by us in 2011, helping us draft a new constitution. This unconditional support continues today. Now with the Houthis refusing to commit to national reconciliation efforts, we have asked for the support of our neighbors to proceed with military intervention. Such support and efforts will not only help Yemen, but also the entire Arab region.”

He said that hesitation on implementing military intervention would have led to dire consequences and negatively affected Yemen.

War will continue, he claimed, if militias continue to be supported by and take orders from Iran. “The Iran intervention in our internal conflict is a polarizing force in our country. Iran is playing a game that is detrimental to our society.”

The prime minister said that the government is fully operational and in control. “Despite the unstable situation, government ministers continue to hold sessions that deliberate the future and development of the nation. We have put in place a strategy that will defend and liberate each city under siege and eradicate all radical elements in Yemen, thereby putting an end to all terrorist attacks,” he said.

Bahah talked about the importance of moving toward peace and ensuring cooperation among all factions in Yemen before liberating cities. Yemen has attended two rounds of United-Nations-brokered peace talks in Geneva with warring parties. According to the prime minister, both rounds proved unsuccessful due to the unwillingness of various parties to unite.