RFE
21 Sep 2019, 11:45 GMT+10
Iran-backed Huthi rebels in Yemen say they are halting all drone and missile attacks against Saudi Arabia a week after claiming responsibility for a strike that blasted a key Saudi oil facility.
Mehdi al-Mashat, head of the Huthis' supreme council, late on September 20 announced the 'halt of all attacks against the territory of Saudi Arabia.'
He said the group is waiting for a 'positive response' from Riyadh.
A Saudi-led military coalition did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the announcement.
The Shi'ite Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the September 14 attack on Saudi Arabia's largest oil-producing facility, raising tensions to new heights in the already tense region.
Despite the Huthi claim, U.S. and Saudi officials blamed the attack on Tehran and have warned that all options, including military, remain on the table.
Iran denied involvement and warned the United States that any attack would lead to an 'all-out war.'
The incident followed a series of similar attacks by Huthi rebels against sites in Saudi Arabia over the past year.
The Yemeni government, supported by Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies, has been battling the Huthi rebels since 2015.
The civil war has killed thousands of civilians and caused shortages of food and medical care that have affected millions.
Many observers have called it a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
On September 20, the U.S. military said President Donald Trump had authorized a "moderate" bolstering of U.S. forces in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates following the attack on Saudi oil infrastructure.
Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Copyright (c) 2018. RFE/RL, Inc. Republished with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036
Get a daily dose of Tennessee Daily news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Tennessee Daily.
More InformationLONDON, U.K.: This week, BP appointed Simon Henry, former Shell finance chief, to its board as a non-executive director effective September...
OTTAWA, Canada: With Canada Post struggling to maintain operations amid labour unrest, rivals like FedEx and UPS are stepping in to...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global markets showed a mixed performance in Tuesday's trading session, with some indices edging higher...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
NEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Elon Musk's entry into the political arena is drawing pushback from top U.S. officials and investors, as his decision...
CULVER CITY, California: TikTok is preparing to roll out a separate version of its app for U.S. users, as efforts to secure a sale...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump claimed he was unaware that the term shylock is regarded as antisemitic when he used it in...
OMAHA, Nebraska: With Congress considering cuts totaling around US$1 trillion to Medicaid over the next decade, concerns are rising...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The U.S. government has granted GE Aerospace permission to resume jet engine shipments to China's COMAC, a person...