World must act to stop Saudi war on Yemen: Analyst

Press TV has conducted an interview with Ibrahim Mousawi, a political commentator in Beirut, to discuss the remarks made by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about the need for an immediate end to Saudi Arabia’s aggression against Yemen.

What follows is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: How important do you think it is for this call for negotiations amongst Yemenis?

Mousawi: Well, everyone is waiting for a kind of decisive action, decisive resolution coming from any place in this world to stop the continuous aggression of the Saudi-American against the Yemeni people, against the Yemeni innocent cities and buildings and facilities and governmental places. It has been waiting for a long time now and we want to see something coming into a place where we could see real concrete things taking place.

The call for the stoppage of the Saudi-American aggression by the UN, number one, and by President Rouhani I believe is very important at this point but it is not enough actually because had it been for Iranian part or for the United Nations, we have been able to witness many comments and many appeals in order to stop the war. I believe it is the so-called international community’s responsibility to come and join to do something in order to stop the aggression. It is not enough to hear condemnations; it is not enough to hear calls on the Saudis. Real action should be taken, otherwise this aggression is continuing without any stoppage.

Something concrete, real measures should be taken from the international community; sanctions should be taken because it has been left for the Saudis to do whatever they want so they will continue the aggression.

Press TV: As you pointed out, obviously, the international community has been silent for much of this aggression on Yemen. Why now then? What exactly has pushed the UN to speak up now?

Mousawi: Well, I believe the Yemenis now, if you know what is happening on the ground, it is all about the battlefield that is happening. I mean yes, they are able to come and bombard the different cities and towns in Yemen. They are able to tear down the buildings, they are able to destroy the governmental buildings and facilities but when it comes to the battlefield, to the ground, we have been able to see that the Yemeni army and the popular defense committees have been able to come into places and to humiliate the Saudi army.

They have been able to put them into shame with their continuous attacks against the Saudi military checkpoints, the Saudi military points. On the other hand, we see that the Saudi war planes are bombarding the towns, the cities, the neighborhood, the markets, and killing the civilians.

When it comes to the battlefield, it is very evident now that the Yemenis have the upper hand in the battlefield while the Saudis, they can use their war planes only on air to bombard the cities. It is because of this change really, it is because of this humiliation, it is because of this steadfastness that the Saudis are looking for a kind of an outlet. They want to see an end to this to stop the humiliation they are being at. Otherwise I do not believe that anyone is exercising enough pressure on the Saudis to stop. Only the action in the battlefield, only an international decisive resolution or decision will put an end to the aggression.

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