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26 March 2015 - 22:40

Iranian and Russian Foreign Ministers Mohammad Javad Zarif and Sergei Lavrov will likely hold a meeting in the Swiss city of Lausanne to discuss the Saudi airstrike on Yemen.

 Russia's Interfax news agency quoted an Iranian diplomat as saying on Thursday that Zarif and Lavrov will likely meet on Yemen on the sidelines of the underway nuclear talks between Tehran and the world powers in Lausanne.

Both Iran and Russia have voiced concern about the situation in Yemen after the US-backed Saudi air strike against the Arab country.

In relevant remarks today, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian in a meeting with Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Ilyas Umakhanov underlined the two countries' common positions on the regional developments, specially on Yemen.

During the meeting in Moscow, Amir Abdollahian underscored Tehran's support for unity and national talks among all Yemeni groups, and said, "We should use all the existing capacities to this end."

He said that the military strikes in Yemen have violated the country's territorial integrity and will spread extremism in the entire region.

Amir Abdollahian condemned foreign intervention in Yemen, and said Tehran and Moscow share common positions on the regional developments, specially on Yemen.

Also today, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called on Riyadh to immediately stop its attack on Yemen, stressing Tehran's efforts to control the crisis.

"We want an immediate halt to Saudi Arabia's military operations in Yemen," Zarif said in an interview with Iran-based Arabic-language al-Alam news channel in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Thursday.

Stressing that the Saudi airstrikes are a blatant disrespect and violation of Yemen's sovereignty, he warned that the Saudi military operations would yield no results but bloodshed.

Zarif underscored that the airstrikes will entangle the region in more tensions, and said, "We will make all our efforts to control the crisis in Yemen."

Earlier today, the Iranian foreign ministry deplored the Thursday morning air strike against Yemen which killed and wounded tens of innocent civilians, calling it a "dangerous" move against the international obligations requiring respect for countries' national sovereignty.

Saudi Arabia launched airstrikes against Yemen early Thursday, one day after the US-backed Yemeni president fled the country.

US President Barack Obama authorized the provision of logistical and intelligence support to the military operations, National Security Council Spokesperson Bernadette Meehan said late Wednesday night.

She added that while US forces were not taking direct military action in Yemen, Washington was establishing a Joint Planning Cell with Saudi Arabia to coordinate US military and intelligence support.

At least 25 Yemeni civilians, including children, were killed and tens of other wounded in the today morning Saudi air strike.

News ID 187715