Iran calls for end to Yemeni fighting

TEHRAN, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The parties involved in the conflict in Yemen should end their fight through peaceful dialogue, Iranian Foreign Ministry officials said.

Yemen launched a major military operation targeting Shiite al-Houthi rebels in the north of the country in early August.

The Sunni government in Yemen blames Tehran for backing the rebel group, while the conflict threatens to expand in the region as Saudi Arabia enters the fight.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki earlier this month "strongly" advised "regional and neighboring states" against getting involved in the Yemeni conflict as tensions escalated.

Ramin Mehmanparast, a spokesman for the foreign minister, said stabilizing the situation in Yemen would bring security to the broader region, the Mehr News Agency reports.

He went on to describe the situation as critical, urging all parties involved in the conflict to move toward political dialogue.

"I do advise the parties to put an end to the conflict through negotiation," he said.