Saudi FM: ‘We are not advocates of war, but we are ready for it’

Iranian-backed Houthi militias and forces allied to former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh are ruining Yemen, said Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister Prince Saud al-Faisal on Tuesday.

“We are not advocating war, but we are ready for it,” said al-Faisal during his speech at the weekly meeting of the Shura Council in the capital Riyadh, reported Al Arabiya News Channel.

“Operation Decisive Storm will continue to defend legitimacy in Yemen,” he said, adding that the Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen will persist until the country is stable and unified again.

Saudi Arabia and a coalition of nine other regional countries have launched a military campaign against the Houthi coup and in response to Yemeni President Abdrabbu Mansou Hadi’s request for immediate help.

Tuesday marks the fifth nigh of air strikes against the Shiite rebels in the Yemeni capital, and other locations in the country.

Speaking about the conflict in Syria, the Saudi FM said that Saudi Arabia will stand behind any effort to “revive the Arab and international conscious to put an end to the humanitarian crisis in Syria,” adding that what is happening in Syria is shameful.

“The solution to the Syrian crisis is based on the principles of Geneva II [Conference],” said the foreign minister, adding that a “military balance” should be achieved in Syria to force “Damascus’ butcher” to respond to peaceful resolutions.

Read Also: Kuwait pledges $500 million at Syria donors meet.

Coinciding with the Saudi minister’s speech, Kuwaiti emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah on Tuesday pledged $500 million at a U.N. donors conference for Syria hosted in his country.

The devastation from the fighting in Syria had left around 7.6 million people internally displaced. Another 3.9 million have sought refuge in neighboring countries.