Iran support for Yemen
Iran’s foreign minister says Tehran supports the ongoing ceasefire in Yemen, calling the truce a prelude to establishing sustainable peace in the Arab country. Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, in a meeting with a spokesman for Yemen’s Ansarullah Movement, said the Islamic Republic has always supported the will of the Yemeni people. The top diplomat expressed hope that the humanitarian situation will improve with the complete lifting of the Saudi-led siege of Yemen. Mohammad Abdul-Salam, for his part, criticized the violation of main components of the ceasefire by the other side. He stressed that the fulfillment of humanitarian issues are key to advancing peace in Yemen. The UN-backed truce in Yemen came into effect in April and was extended until early October. It has been the longest respite Yemenis have experienced since Saudi Arabia along with some of its allies launched a bloody war on Yemen in 2015 with the aim of reinstating a friendly regime.
Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Moscow does not rule out talks with Kiev to end the months-long war in Ukraine. That’s according to the Russian Foreign Minister. Sergey Lavrov says his country doesn’t give up on the idea of peace talks with Ukraine. The top Russian diplomat said the two sides need to start negotiations as soon as possible, adding that delaying the talks would make it harder to reach an agreement. The peace talks came to a standstill after delegates from Moscow and Kiev held negotiations in the Turkish city of Istanbul in late March. Russian officials have also warned that Moscow’s demands would be more extensive if the talks were to restart. Back in February, Russia launched what it called a special military operation in Ukraine.
Sweden parliamentary vote
Early results of Sweden’s general elections show a slight edge for the country’s right-wing bloc. With around 90% of votes counted, the right-wing bloc, including Moderates, Sweden Democrats, Christian Democrats and Liberals, has won 176 seats. The ruling centre-left is on the second spot with 173 seats in the 349 seat parliament. The trend is pointing to a new government. This while, exit polls had projected a boost in votes for the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats. The final tally could still make a difference as overseas and some postal votes are yet to be counted. This year’s campaigns largely focused on crime, energy and cost of living crises. The Scandinavian country is also waiting for its NATO accession to be approved.