Saudi-led Coalition Ends Air Strikes on Yemen

The coalition led by Saudi Arabia announced an end to the air strikes it carried out on Yemen for almost a month.

According to the coalition, Operation Decisive Storm fulfilled its military goals and a new campaign aimed at protecting civilians and preventing Houthi rebels from operating was launched.

The new operation, called Renewal of Hope, combined political, diplomatic and military action, Al Jazeera reports.

Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi expressed his gratitude to the coalition partners for their support in a televised address from Riyadh.

Several hours after the coalition announced the end of the air strikes, senior Houthi leaders stated that a political deal to end the conflict had almost been reached.

However future air strikes against the Houthis were not ruled out and the coalition would continue imposing naval blockade on Yemen and restrictions on its airspace.

The USA welcomed the end of the air strikes and expressed its support for the UN-mediated process and the facilitation of humanitarian assistance.

The Defence Ministry of Saudi Arabia announced that all heavy weapons and ballistic missiles of the Houthis had been destroyed and any possible threats had been eliminated.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Tuesday that hostilities between March 19 and April 17 claimed the lives of 944 people, while 3487 were injured.

The WHO warned that the number of patients able to reach health facilities had dropped since the escalation of violence and the shortage of water increased the risk of diarrhea and other diseases.

Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif welcomed the move of the coalition, calling for urgent humanitarian assistance to Yemen and talks on the formation...