Saudi-led coalition declares end to Yemen campaign

TEHRAN/ RIYADH: A Saudi-led coalition declared an end Tuesday to its military campaign four weeks after launching air strikes against rebels in Yemen, saying their threat to Saudi Arabia and its neighbours had been removed.

The coalition has "ended Operation Decisive Storm based on a request by the Yemeni government and President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi," its spokesperson, Brigadier General Ahmed al Assiri, told a press briefing in the Saudi capital.

However, he said the coalition would continue to impose a naval blockade on Yemen and target any movements by the Huthi rebel forces.

A coalition statement said that the next phase of operations was aimed at resuming the political process in Yemen, delivering aid, and "fighting terrorism" in the country, home to a deadly al Qaeda franchise.

The Saudi defence ministry said in a statement that the air strikes had managed "to successfully remove threats to Saudi Arabia's security and that of neighbouring countries".

This, it added, was achieved "by destroying heavy weaponry and ballistic missiles which were seized by the Huthi militia and forces allied to (former president) Ali Abduallh Saleh from army bases and camps."

Operation Decisive Storm began on March 26 and will continue until midnight.

Iran welcomes end to Saudi-led ops in Yemen as 'step forward'

Iran welcomed the Saudi-led coalition's announcement Tuesday that it is ending a four-week air war in Yemen, saying it was a "step forward" to reaching a political settlement in the country.

"The establishment of a ceasefire and a stop to the killing of innocent and defenceless people is a step forward," foreign ministry spokesperson Marzieh Afkham said, quoted by the official IRNA news agency.