ADEN, Yemen

The Yemeni government on Friday voiced optimism over restoring peace in the war-torn country.

The Yemeni government welcomed “the efforts of Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UN aimed at pushing Houthi militias towards seriously dealing with calls for peace and alleviating the human suffering of the Yemeni people,” according to the country’s official news agency, SABA.

The Yemeni government reaffirmed “its keenness to bringing about a just and comprehensive peace.”

Saudi Arabia on Thursday invited a Houthi delegation for peace talks in the kingdom, according to the Saudi Foreign Ministry.

On Twitter/X, a member of the Supreme Political Council of the Houthis, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi, also confirmed the departure of a delegation from the Yemeni capital Sanaa to Riyadh, saying he hoped it would “overcome the challenges.”

Yemen has been engulfed by violence and instability since 2014, when Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels captured much of the country, including Sanaa.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi​​​​​​​