Yemeni government welcomes Saudi-brokered deal with STC

President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi met board of advisers in Riyadh on Sunday

Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi urged Houthi rebels to work for peace. AFP

The Yemeni government welcomed a Saudi-brokered peace deal with the Southern Transitional Council after "tireless efforts" by Riyadh to heal the rift between the allies against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Yemeni President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi met his board of advisers in Riyadh on Sunday, Saba news agency reported.

Mr Hadi said the agreement was part of Saudi efforts to bring all Yemeni political constituencies and forces together in a united front to thwart the Houthi coup and weaken Tehran’s influence in the region.

The Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar Al Eryani, described the deal as an important step to direct all efforts towards the battle against the Iran-backed rebels.

Other officials in the Yemeni government called the agreement “a victory for all”.

"All Yemenis are winners with the Riyadh agreement except the Houthis," Col Yehya Abu Hatim, an adviser to Yemeni Defence Minister, Lieutenant General Mohamed Ali Al Maqdashi, told The National.

"It is a victory for the southerners and for the northerners, as well as for the government and the Arab Coalition.

“Such a step is crucial for the main battle against the Houthi group, which is the first and the last enemy for the Yemeni people, and for the region and the world as well."

Saleh Al Homaidi, a deputy in the Yemeni Ministry of Information, said that the Riyadh agreement was “a repair operation for the Yemeni state”.

“Saudi Arabia has played a fundamental role in leading the reconciliation talks between the government and the STC until the agreement was successfully achieved," Mr Al Homaidi said.

"This indicates that Saudi Arabia is so keen to restore peace stability to Yemen."

Meanwhile, the Arab Coalition has moved its troops to the southern city of Aden.

Saudi forces arrived at Aden airport on Sunday to secure the city and its maritime routes, and to join the battle against terrorist groups, the Saudi news agency reported.